February Fifteenth
by ishandahalf
Summary: AU Remy's life in the Guild is no picnic, especially with his upcoming wedding. But things get a lot more complicated when a visitor comes to town... COMPLETE! And chock full o' Romy goodness!
1. Three am

**Disclaimer:** Sadly, I don't own the X-men. _Unless_… nope, I've got nothing.

**A/N:** I did it, I did it! That's right, I finally wrote a fic. About time, eh? I've had countless people hounding me to write something (and by countless I mean three), and since I've got way too much time on my hands over my winter break, I thought I'd actually get on it! So here we are, an early holiday gift. I've been developing this idea for a while, and it's roughly planned out, so here goes nothing. Ta dahh, my first fanfic! Drum roll, please…

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February Fifteenth

**Chapter One – Three a.m.**

Three a.m. is the best time of the day for a thief, mainly because it's the perfect time for a heist. Countless Hollywood movies propagated the fact that midnight was the most common time for criminals to strike, while guards were changing their shifts and not paying attention to skulking figures in black moving past them. For this, Remy LeBeau was thankful.

Midnight was too risky; with guards changing shifts there is a greater amount of them randomly roaming around, therefore increasing the odds of getting caught. Remy had never been caught, a fact he attributed to doing most of his thieving at three a.m. At halfway through a guard's shift, they would already be bored out of their minds and lulled into a false sense of security. They wouldn't be paying half as much attention to the security cameras they were paid to watch as to the time they were counting down until they could go home and crawl into their warm beds. Remy was well aware of this; it was one of the reasons why he was so proficient at what he did. Namely, stealing.

However, he hadn't come to the New Orleans Museum of Art to steal anything tonight. It was February the fifteenth, and he'd come here every year for the past five years. His own little ritual. He silently crept down the hallways by memory, slinking through the shadows until he reached his destination.

'Back again,' he sighed internally. 'Dis won't do y' no good.'

Five years ago, he was here to steal a collection of jewels. It was the first heist that he had planned alone, at the then tender age of thirteen. It was simple enough; he had already been on countless group "appropriations". He had been one of the best thieves in the Guild, and his skills had only improved since then.

He had been a thief as long as he could remember. It had been an essential skill he picked up as a child living on the streets, and it had been further honed when Jean-Luc LeBeau adopted him into the Thieves Guild.

Remy sighed once again. At that moment he thought that his life was finally turning around, and in many ways it had. He was brought up in a luxurious life, with a loving family and friends and practically anything he could want. He loved the Guild, and he loved what he did, but nothing else. And that was the problem.

_Amour_. Love. Such a tiny word. How could it possibly bring so many complications into his life? He hadn't even thought about it until five years ago, on Valentine's Day. He loathed that day. He never used to. On the streets it had always been a fun day, where he would make off with hundreds of dollars from the wallets of men rushing to buy their wives (and mistresses) romantic gifts and tokens of affection. But five years ago, he was told what his future would hold. He was to be married.

Normally, that wouldn't have bothered him. He may have been young, but he grew up on the streets, and that had aged him fast. The supernatural city had instilled in him a sense of mysticism, and believed in magic, voodoo, and things that could simply not be explained. He had seen couples walk hand in hand down the streets, whispering how they were soul mates. Remy wanted that. Love, pure and simple.

'Guess Remy be selfish,' he thought to himself. 'But Remy never got no love on de streets, why can' he have some now?'

That was what bothered him. He wouldn't have that chance, because of his arranged marriage. He was to wed Belladonna Boudreaux, the only daughter of the head of the Assassins Guild. She was beautiful, no doubt about that. But he didn't love her. He tried, he forced himself to love her, but he couldn't do it. Not that it mattered; he would have to marry her, to ensure peace between the warring Guilds. Belle was happy about the situation; for some insane reason she loved him, and believed that he loved her back.

'Guess Remy's a better actor den he t'ought, neh?' he mentally chuckled, yet wholly without humour. He knew he would have to marry her, so he tried to make the best out of the situation. He treated Belle like a queen, but it was just a mask. It had gotten so easy to wear that he almost forgot it was all an act. And yet a part of him never did, which is why he returned to this spot every year.

He shouldn't be here, and he knew it. Valentine's Day was over, and he'd spent it pampering Belle, and agreeing with all her ideas for their wedding. She had taken it upon herself to plan it, since she wanted the perfect fairytale wedding she had dreamt about since she was a little girl. Remy couldn't care less whether they had cream coloured napkins or tulip centrepieces, so he just went along with whatever she suggested.

One year. That was it. They would be married in exactly one year, on Valentine's Day.

'Could it be any more clichéd? One mo' reason for Remy t' hate de damned day. But t'is kinda funny dat I be gettin' married and pledgin' fake love on de day made for de truer version.'

Remy was sure there was some sort of irony present in all of this, but didn't want to dwell on it. He hated it when his life was analyzed, and he hated it even more when he did it to himself. All he knew was that in one year he would be spending his wedding night with a woman he didn't love; all the more reason to come here tonight.

Shaking his head to clear himself of the unpleasant thoughts, he returned to the present. He stood staring at the very same collection of jewels he was supposed to steal five years ago. They were beautiful, a large display for almost every gemstone imaginable. Remy practically had them memorized, since his last four visits consisted of him staring at them until a guard walked by on his patrol. He never took them, there was no point. He was supposed to do so on the night of the heist, but it didn't go as planned. He had made it inside alright, but the moment he was about to take them, he was distracted by the pair of emeralds. No, more like mesmerized. He stared at them for so long that he hardly noticed that a guard was approaching until it was almost too late.

Getting out of there had been no problem; Remy never got caught. The problem was the missed opportunity. He had a chance, and he didn't take it; the little voice in his head reminded him of it every day, taunting him. Those emeralds danced in his mind's eye every night, teasing him. That was why he returned here every year; he had hope. Some small semblance of hope that he could recapture his lost chance, and change things for the better. It was stupid and foolish, and he knew it. He wouldn't get the chance again, but still he came back and hoped for it.

This would be his last visit. That tiny sliver of hope dwindled with each passing day, and by his wedding day it would be gone, because there would be nothing left he could do to prevent it. Still, he couldn't stop himself from hoping that something might change.

'Who knows? Dis Cajun's always had Lady Luck on 'is side, maybe she'll help Remy out some mo'.'

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Well, that's it! How was it? With any luck, I've gotten you all curious. And hey, to add to that, why don't I drop a little teaser? Next chapter, the wedding gets closer and the Guild calls for some help! Dun dun duhh.

So, now that that's out of the way, you know what time it is. Review time! Come on, review, pretty please? The power of the fic COMPELLS you! Bwa ha ha ha ha! Umm… yeah, sorry about that. I get carried away sometimes. Anyhoo, the point is that I really hope you review. Especially if I've reviewed your fic before! Yeah, I thought I'd throw in a tiny guilt-trip there.

But seriously. I need feedback, hopefully of the positive variety! I'm not sure how this went, so it'd be great to hear some input. And please, if you've got something bad to say, say it in a good, happy, constructive way! Or else it'll just crush my fragile ego.

So, thanks for reading. The next chapter _should_ be up in less than a week. Hopefully. I'll try my darndest. I'm sure I'll write faster if I get reviews! Huzzah. And happy holidays!

Kisses,

ish


	2. A Call for Help

**Disclaimer:** Well, I asked for the rights to the X-Men for Christmas, and guess what?! Yeah, I didn't get them. Curse you, Santa! shakes fist threateningly at him

**A/N:** Here we go again! Before we get to the actual chapter, I just have to say WOW. I actually got reviews, and lots of them! I still think I'm hallucinating, but every time I check them they're still there, so maybe they are real after all. They're all SO nice, I LOVE you guys! Every time I check one, I start giggling girlishly and squealing. And it continues when I move to read the next one. It's a vicious cycle, but it just puts me in the BEST of moods! So, to all my reviewers, you're TOTALLY getting gold stars! Use them wisely. Anyhoo, responses ahoy!

Personage, Lady Amaya, just me, Melfina Lupin, annikask8s2005, The Rogue Cajun, Midnight Selene, Michelle, Yumiko, Rogue77, Turquoise, tia, mAd RoGuE & Jukebox – Thanks, guys! Wow, I can't believe you've heard of me, and have been waiting for me to write something! As mAd RoGuE put it, I'm "notorious"! I like the sound of that; it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I still in shock that I've got a reputation on . Are you sure it's a good one? Or is everybody like, "Ooh, if ishandahalf reviews your fic, head for the hills!"? Shmeh, it's publicity either way, so huzzah! Thanks guys.

Mercury Dream – Aww! I'm glad you were so confident about my fic-writing ability. I'll be holding you to the promise of faithfully reviewing though! Bwa ha ha ha ha!

heartsyhawk – Hmm, I don't think Belle will be turning into a chipmunk in this fic, although it would be quite the interesting development, wouldn't it? As for how I'll portray her, you'll just have to keep reading and see, won't you?

Neurotic Temptress – Shame on you, haven't you learned not to piss off the plot bunnies by now? Anyhoo, thanks SO much for your review, it's nice to know that a mind as twisted as mine is enjoying this. And of course it's not a one-shot! This will be an EPIC story! Well, in theory, at least. But yeah, I can't wait till you've got time at your computer again, cuz I feel deprived of both your emails and your fics. Ooh, you're taunting me with the "and such" portion of your life, aren't you? I'm DYING to know what happened with your little soap opera! I'll be waiting…

Remy's Angy – Hmm, being a super fast reader (and typer) does help me quite a bit, but you wanna know my secret? A time machine. Shh, don't tell anybody!

Eileen Blazer – You say you were stunned when you saw that I finally wrote a fic? Well, I was stunned to see that you reviewed my fic! You are a goddess of Romy goodness! I bow down in supplication to you, my liege. I shame you and your scribbles? Sacrilege! If anything, _my_ tiny, insignificant fic is scribbles compared to your stuff. Hmm, will my continuous praise of you make you update faster? I thought you were dead or something, we haven't seen an update from you since what, August? Shame on you. You better get typing! But yeah, thanks for your compliments! _Reeking_ of Romyness, eh? I like the sound of that! But I don't know, since you mentioned the Gambit/Wolverine pairing, I've been giving that some serious consideration… Nah, I wouldn't do that. I think it's impossible to stray away from my internal Romy programming. Once again, thanks for the review. This update fast enough for ya? Notice I didn't wait for months, hint hint! Sorry, I just had to stick that in there. I'm _dying_ for an update of yours!

archmagnus – Ooh, I merited a "yowza"? Huzzah! I feel all special now. ;-)

Calliann – Ahh, another insane friend! Of course we're not alone, one day the insane shall rise up and take over the world! Bwa ha ha ha! Anyhoo, glad you like it! And wow, you've resorted to _pouting_ to get me to update fast? Wow! That's an interesting tactic, I think it worked.

Rogue4787 – Wow, you people are quite sharp with the whole emerald bit, aren't ya? But I don't know, maybe you shouldn't make assumptions. After all, couldn't Remy have been mesmerized by a really nice brooch or something? ;-)

Princess of Monkeys – Yay, I'm so glad you reviewed my fic, especially since yours is the one I'm currently obsessed with. I'm glad you like it so far. Yeah, I decided to go for a new angle and start things off in the Big Easy. And finish things off there too, for that matter – no Bayville in this fic, no siree! And woah, you're complimenting my accent writing? Thanks! That was one of my main concerns, I'm glad I seem to have done the sexiness justice.

Cloud of Blood – "Lalala", eh? I'm glad I made you burst out into song!

Aro – Thanks for the review, Robin! I appreciate the Batmanness of your comment, you know me oh so well! Thanks for the star and cookie too - all my giving is finally returning to me in gift form! But I must give you a gold star back for being first to use my "bunny on crack" line against me. I was wondering how long that would take, and then you came along two hours and twenty-four minutes after I posted. Now _everybody's_ using it against me, it's so overwhelming! Ahh!

Star-of-Chaos – I'm a tease? Aww, thanks, I try. But let's rejoice, for you were my VERY first reviewer! I LOVE YOU! hugs Seriously, I feel the need to bow down and worship you. Hey, you were also the first to mention something about the emeralds. See Rogue4784's response if you want my take on that…

Alrighty, so on with the fic! Let me just warn you that there's an abundance of Cajuns in this chapter (not that it's a bad thing, there's no such thing as too many Cajuns!), and with the Cajuns come their accents. I'm just a simple Canadian gal, and my accent consists of adding "eh" to every sentence, eh? Ha ha. But yeah, here's hoping it goes well. Onward!

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February Fifteenth

**Chapter Two – A Call for Help**

The Guild meeting hall was anything but dull. There was elegant mahogany furniture situated around the room, beautiful portraits of ancestors hanging on the walls, and shelves filled with countless history books. Not monotonous school-approved history, but tales of the Guild; they were filled with priceless scores, daring escapes, and thrilling fights. A person could open one of the volumes up and be caught up in reading all day. Because of that, it was almost impossible to be bored in the room. And yet, Remy somehow managed it.

Leaning back in the chair with his feet crossed and placed on top of the table, his shocking eyes were shut, with wisps of auburn hair falling in front of them. He gave every appearance of being asleep, except for the deck of cards being expertly shuffled in his hands. Every so often, he would charge one and let it detonate with a faint '_pop!'_ just to keep himself awake. Remy despised Guild meetings; they were full of tedious affairs that he could care less about, from debates about raising commissions to arguments regarding the latest business ventures used as fronts for money laundering. Unfortunately, as one of the Princes of Thieves, he was expected to attend.

'_Mon Dieu_ (My God), could dis take any longer?' he thought.

There were one thousand things he'd rather be doing, one thousand pockets he'd rather be picking, one thousand girls he'd rather be flirting with. The time left for the latter was rapidly declining, with the wedding now only four months away. With every day that passed, Remy's hope was extinguished a little bit more, and he became all the more desperate. He would flirt with practically anything that moved, just wishing to find some sort of connection, some sort of bond with somebody, anybody. A real, tangible reason not to go through with the wedding, rather than just his feelings. Or rather, lack thereof.

Suddenly, Remy was jolted from his thoughts by a sharp jab to his side. Looking over to Henri, he glared and asked, "_Mon __frère_ (My brother), why you do dat fo'?"

Henri just inclined his head towards the head of the table where the Guild Master sat, looking rather amusedly at his sons.

"Y' wouldn't be not payin' attention, now would y', Remy?" he asked.

"Course not, _m'sieu_ (sir)," Remy smirked. "Just restin' _mes yeux_ (my eyes)."

"Dat's good t' hear, because we've got somethin' important t' discuss. About y' weddin'."

At this, Remy's ears perked up. His father's tone definitely didn't sound happy, meaning there was bad news. Well, maybe bad for him. But for Remy, anything to hinder the wedding would definitely be a blessing.

"Our spies in de Assassins' territories have reported dat Julien was talkin' 'bout Remy, and it ain't nothin' good."

"Pfft, when is anythin' dat idiot say 'bout Remy good? He's not exactly m' numba one fan since Remy be marryin' _son soeur_ (his sister)."

That was the truth. As much as Remy didn't want to marry Belle, he had only discussed his unhappiness with the immediate members of his family. Julien Boudreaux was much more vocal about the subject, protesting to anybody within earshot until the elders of both Guilds reprimanded him; it was to seal the peace and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Dat's true, but dis mo' den just badmouthin' y'," spoke up Antoine, one of Jean-Luc's many advisors. "We be t'inkin' dat he's plottin' somet'in'. Y' know dat he's dead set against dis weddin'."

'Looks like we actually got somet'in' in common,' thought Remy. Out loud he asked, "So what's he plannin'?"

"We don' know, but we be t'inkin' dat it may be what he's best at, neh?" said Lapin, one of Remy's countless cousins. He didn't have to elaborate any further, for everybody caught the allusion; Remy's life could be in danger.

"Not dat Remy don' appreciate de seriousness o' de situation," he began, which was true. He didn't like the idea of being killed any more than the next person. "But what be de point o' offin' me? He'll get in _merde_ (shit) wit' de Guild elders, and den de peace pact won' 'appen!"

"We t'ought 'bout dat already. It don' seem t' make any sense," Jean-Luc told him with a frown.

A silence fell over the meeting room for a moment, as everybody present contemplated the news.

'Hmm, now dere's a choice between marryin' a _fille_ (girl) y' don' love and livin' in misery fo' de rest o' y' life, or gettin' killed fo' marryin' de same girl when y' don' even wan' t'. Nice mess y' got yo'self in, Remy,' he internally muttered.

Then one of the elders, whose name Remy never remembered, began to speak. "Maybe dere is a reason fo' Julien t' do dis," he mused while walking over to one of the bookshelves and began to search for something. "Dere's an obscure Guild law 'bout marryin' b'tween de clans," he remembered, as he pulled out a large leather-bound book, placed it on the table, and began to leaf through the pages. "Somethin' 'bout protection b'tween de two families… ahh! _Ici!_ (Here!)" he stated, pointing to a specific page.

Everybody around the table leaned in, trying to get a glimpse of the words. _"It is decreed, that if man and woman from the Assassins Guild and the Thieves Guild marry, they will be held in reverence for their union. They shall bring about peace because of this, and be held to the highest titles, and in the highest regards. Their families will be bound together. They shall protect each other, be protected from each other, and protect the Guilds. The bond is unbreakable, staying even death of husband or wife. Should this occur, the surviving spouse shall be endowed with the unified Guild's duties and responsibilities."_

"So?" questioned Lapin. "We already knew dat: Remy and Belladonna get married, dey bring about peace, and because o' dat we get protection from de ot'er Guild!"

"Use your head fo' once, Lapin," sighed Henri. "By gettin' married, Remy an' Belle get de highest titles in de Guild, meanin' dey be de ones in charge! An' if Remy be killed, den Belladonna rules o'er everyt'in'! Dat must be what Julien's after, if he kills Remy after de weddin', den Belle gets control. Knowin' him, he'll probably weasel int' power from his _soeur_, and den take it all away from de Thieves."

Wonderful, joyous hope filled Remy upon hearing those words. This was exactly what he needed! Finally, a cause not to marry Belle, this couldn't possibly get any better.

"Now wait," cautioned Jean-Luc. "We be getting' ahead o' ourselves here! We don' know if dis is even what Julien really be plannin'. He ain't no scholar, what be de chances dat he knows 'bout dis law? It _is_ obscure."

_'Je n'y crois pas!_ (I don't believe it!)' Remy cursed. 'Jus' call it off already! He wouldn' possibly take de chance of an Assassin takin' o'er de Guild…'

"We don' know what Julien knows," reasoned Antoine. "Dis is a dangerous scenario. I say the weddin' be cancelled – we can' take de chance of a Boudreaux takin' o'er _both_ Guilds, even at de expense o' de peace pact!"

Remy could have kissed the man. Unfortunately, he didn't have the last word.

"Dat's a bit rash, neh?" asked one of the elders. "Why don' we get someone t' find out what exactly he knows, den we'll know how t' proceed."

"An' who do y' suggest?" enquired Antoine.

"An' independent contractor. Dat way he won' be known t' the Assassins, an' he can gather de information we need."

The elders seemed to agree with this course of action, and all looked over to Jean-Luc. He nodded and said, "Dat's a good idea, _mais qui? _(but whom?)"

"_Je sais_ (I know). _L'ombre_ (the Shadow)," suggested Henri.

"_Es-tu fou? _(Are you crazy?)" asked a bewildered Remy. "Remy's all fo' gettin' help an' all, but how 'bout some help dat actually exists and ain't just some story?"

"He does exists, he's one o' de best t'ieves in de world!" exclaimed Henri. "He can get information on almost anyt'in' an' never leaves a trace o' evidence, like dere was no t'ief dere at all."

_"C'est vrai_ (It's true), I've heard o' dis t'ief too. He does exist – dere are heists dat no ot'er Guilds admit to pullin', everyone says it's _L'ombre_," mused Jean-Luc. Remy could almost see the cogs in his head turning, processing the situation.

Lapin's eyes widened. "Y' not de only one, _Oncle_ (Uncle). He's almos' as good as a Master T'ief! But he's not called _L'ombre_, _il s'appelle_ _Le Fantôme_ (he's called the Ghost)."

_"C'est tu qui est fou_ (It's you who's crazy), Lapin. _C'est L'ombre!_ (It's the Shadow!)" scoffed Henri.

_"Le Fantôme!"_

_"L'ombre!"_

_"Le Fantôme!"_

_"L'ombre!"_

"Will y' two stop it? He don' even exist, it don' matter what he's called!" shouted Remy, having enough of their childish argument. He was desperate for a solution to his problems, and talking about a fictional thief was a waste of his time.

"He does exist!" came the heated reply from both Henri and Lapin, on the same side for once.

"Does not!"

"Does too!"

_"Non!_ (No!)

_"Oui!_ (Yes!)

_"Non!"_

_"Oui!"_

_"Assez!_ (Enough!)" bellowed Jean-Luc, finally losing his patience. "De t'ief exists, and we'll ask fo' his help."

"_Comment?_(How?) He's like a _ghost_," Lapin emphasised with a pointed look at Henri. "He don' leave clues, nobody know who he is, or where t' find him!"

"It don' matter if we find him," Jean-Luc said. "All dat matters is dat he finds us. We'll send messages t' all our contacts around de world – word will spread, an' if he's any t'ief at all, he'll hear 'bout it. Agreed?"

No objections were raised, except for Lapin who began to open his mouth.

"Lapin, if y' say just _un mot_ (one word) about de name o' de t'ief, I swear I'll make y' go out an' find him yo'self."

He smartly remained silent, and Jean-Luc smiled and stood up. "_Bon_ (Good). Meetin' adjourned."

As everybody stood up and made their way to the doors, Remy gave an almost unperceivable smile. Things were beginning to look up.

* * *

Next chapter, the wedding gets even _closer_ – will the help they asked for ever show up? Cue the dramatic music!

Well, there you have it. Another chapter bites the dust. What do you think – good, bad, Nobel Prize for Literature worthy? Well, you can tell me if you REVIEW! So go and click that little button in the corner, it'll be MUCH appreciated. Huzzah, and thanks for reading. The next chapter should be up within a few days. In theory. ;-)

Kisses,

ish


	3. Hope

**Disclaimer:** I've got a plan – I'll stalk Stan Lee, manage to save his life somehow, and he'll hand over the rights to the X-Men as proof of his undying gratitude. But seeing as said plan hasn't been implemented yet, I still don't own them. :-(

**A/N:** squeal! Oooh, yet more and more fun reviews! You're all too kind. I swear, reading them all is like some new form of Prozac or something, it makes me SO happy! Maybe I should market it… Hmm… But yeah, more gold stars to all my reviewers! Actually, maybe purple for variety. Advance apologies if I miss anybody!

The Rogue Cajun, Michelle, Miz Lynn, Araya-Michiru, Krys Xanthina, bacon the pig, AJ, Jukebox, just me, & marie lebeau – Thanks! I'm getting such an ego boost from all these compliments, I love it!

Caliente – Not just original, but "HELLA" orginal, eh? Thanks! I wanted to do something a wee bit different from the fics already out there. Plus, plagiarism would be a bad thing.

heartsyhawk – Methinks you should lay off the Tylenol. Hey, don't bash socks, I love socks! Well, pretty ones, that is. Anyhoo, I don't think Belle will be turning into any sort of rodent in this fic. But you can always hope.

tone, Lady Amaya, & the tiny one – I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. Just keep reading, _all_ your questions will be answered! Eventually.

btch – Sorry if you find the French translations distracting. I was debating in what format to stick them in, and this just seemed the best way. It's a little pet peeve of mine when they're at the bottom, cuz then you've gotta read through the rest of the chapter without knowing what was said and then you forget by the time you're at the bottom, and you've gotta go back and find it, and it's a whole big hassle. Sorry for the rant, that's just my humble opinion. But thanks for the props!

Bluefireburns65 – Ooh, thanks for complimenting my accents! My Word document was full of those damn red lines for misspelled words, it was SO annoying! Anyhoo, to answer your question, I'm pretty much going for a new scenario, _however_, there WILL be a familiar comic event in later chapters - just tweaked a bit for even _more_ drama. So keep reading and you'll find out what it is!

Krac – I won't tell you who the Shadow is, just like you wouldn't tell me who dies in the Cypher Arc! You'll have to keep reading. And you're asking if there'll be Romy? What kind of a question is that?! I mean, come on! It's ME! So what do you think? It's practically impossible for me to _read_ anything without Romy, I think it'd be a sign of the Apocalypse if I didn't _write_ any. With that said, there better be _ridiculous_ amounts of Romy in your fic, you _promised_!

SSJ Tokya – Glad you're hooked. But what's this, "screw Romy"?! Sacrilige! You really don't wanna talk like that around me… It might lead to your untimely death. Just so ya know. ;-) And oh, the answer to your question about why Remy doesn't run away is in this chapter. Read on!

Rogue77 – Miss Crack Bunny, eh? Interesting. I'm partial to the Crack Monger, mainly cuz I like saying 'monger'. Or maybe the Crack Mistress, that sounds sexy. Although zoom is quite fun. Words are just great, aren't they?

Rogue4787 – As far as I know, the Shadow/Ghost idea came from my twisted little mind. If it _is_ from the comics, it's a freaky coincidence. cue the Twilight Zone music!

mAd RoGuE – "Mighty Ishandahalf"? I LOVE YOU! Pay attention oh readers of mine, the way to get through to my heart is with praise like this! Thanks! ;-)

Lid'l Rogue – Yes, Valentine's Day IS on Feb. 14th, but I purposely titled it the 15th to show the aftermath of Valentine's, and also it's when Remy's big heist went down (see chapter 1). Make sense?

Cloud of Blood - waves childishly back to you Hi! You're fun, I like waving like an idiot! Not that you're an idiot. I really just shouldn't talk. Or type, for that matter. I'll just shut up now. Anyhoo, thanks for the multiple compliments!

Calliann – Why is everybody doubting that I'll put Rogue in the fic? I'll refer you back to Krac's response for the answer to that. Ahh, stop pouting, you're killing me! But thanks for the Nobel Prize, that's going up on my wall!

Aro – Cajun goodness indeed, Robin! Geezums? I like that. And to answer your question, as of the exact moment I'm writing this, I've written 3430 reviews. Scary, eh? No wonder everybody's seen me around, I think it'd be impossible to miss me. But maybe I should wear those fun reflective vests just in case. Safety first! ;-)

Goldylokz – Wow, you've got great timing! I was just about to post this chapter when your review came through, and since I love you, I decided to stick your response in. Thanks for your compliments! And of _course_ you can have a role in my fic, you put me in yours and I'm _eternally_ grateful! It's quite a tiny role (there really aren't a lot of parts in this fic) and it's in quite a few chapters, so you'll have to wait a while. Oh well, at least that's a good way to make sure you'll keep reading! Bwa ha ha! Oh, I could use a description of what you look like though. Feel free to write me, mayhaps in the next review? Oh yeah, I'm not letting you off the hook now! I'll be waiting for more reviews from you! ;-)

Well, the responses are done. I'm worried that one day they'll end up longer than the chapter! Eep. Well, maybe if we ignore the problem it'll go away. Now it's chapter reading time - ahoy! By the way, I stuck in a tiny little homage to some great fics. See if you can find it!

* * *

February Fifteenth

**Chapter Three – Hope**

Hope is a funny thing. When you have it, it's a wonderful thing that you put all of your faith into; but it can end up disappointing you. Much the same happened to Remy LeBeau over the past few weeks. After the Guild meeting where it was decided that they would call for the help of the mysterious thief (whatever his name may be), Remy gained some hope. As small as it was, it was still there; just the fact that somebody might exist that could get him out of his predicament got Remy through each day. But day after day of still no word from the thief once again robbed him of it. Maybe hope was a better thief than even Remy could be…

It was February twelfth. Only two days until the wedding, and Remy was well aware of every second that passed by, for it was one second closer to his fate. 'My doom is mo' like it,' he bitterly thought. His faith that _L'ombre_ would show up had now disappeared. 'Hell, right now Remy don' care if de Easter Bunny shows up, if he can just stop de weddin'.'

Remy didn't know what to do. He just couldn't go through with this, tying himself to a woman he didn't love. But he couldn't back out of the wedding either; if he did, the animosity between the Guilds would continue, and he would be signing his family's death warrant. Actually, that was being rather optimistic. If he backed out of the wedding he probably wouldn't even live to see his family assassinated, because his lovely bride would most likely kill him first.

Ahh, Belladonna. The bane of his existence. He was sitting in his room, trying to write his wedding vows to her, but didn't seem able to scratch even one word onto the paper. She had already read her vows to him, full of undying and unwavering love and commitment. Truth be told, they had almost made him laugh. 'Even mo' clichés.'

He had never once told Belle that he loved her. Sure, she told it to him all the time. He always replied with a cocky "How could y' not?" or an "I know", complete with his trademark smirk. For more serious scenarios he answered with a "Me too", but Remy took great care never to speak the L-word. He wouldn't, and he couldn't. He knew love was a serious thing, and would treat it as such. As irrational as it was, he was afraid to say it to Belle; afraid it would give her false hope, afraid it would create something that wasn't there between them, but most of all, afraid that it might come true. He would say he loved somebody when he found them.

'Dere lies de problem. Find y' girl, but y' can' do anyt'in' 'bout it cause y' gettin' married. Get married, but den y' can' find y' girl. Stuck b'tween a rock an' a hard place, Remy. Nice goin'.'

These self-pitying thoughts weren't doing him any good; he had wedding vows to write. Remy sat and stared at the paper for another half an hour, but still couldn't write anything.

'Damn, Remy, y' be de King o' Hearts, and y' can' even bullshit any damn romantic lines? Y' losin' y' touch,' he chastised himself. He knew why though; he had hoped his wedding vows would be from the heart, to a woman he actually loved. He couldn't bring himself to write down fake ones.

'If y' can' even write de fake vows, how y' expect t' say dem at de weddin'?' he asked himself. 'Too bad y' can' get someone else t' do it fo' y'.' Slowly his words began to sink in, and Remy got an idea.

Getting up, he left his room and moved down the hall toward his sister-in-law's bedroom. Silently sneaking in, he made his way over to her bookshelf. If Mercy caught him in here she would kill him, but he wasn't known as the Gambit for nothing. His eyes skimmed over the books, but didn't find what he was looking for. Where were they? They had to be here… Wait. One section of books had less dust in front of it than the others. Maybe…

Reaching for one of the them, he found that the book didn't budge. Knocking on it, Remy heard a slight echo. Smirking, he slid the section out, revealing it to be nothing but a hollow shell that hid quite precious contents. 'Jackpot.'

Romance novels. Remy couldn't believe that Mercy of all women would read them, but here they were, a rather large collection too. Chuckling, he began to skim through them. Well, he could understand why she went to such lengths to hide them, because he would definitely tease her endlessly about this. Finally, he found one that looked promising, by some author named St. John Allerdyce. Sticking it in his trench coat, he replaced the façade of books and went back to his room.

Back at his desk, he flipped through the pages and wrote down various romantic lines the hero spewed out. His vows were done in record time. 'Dis John fellow must be crazy t' write dis crap, but Remy definitely owe him one.'

Walking back to replace the book, Mercy surprised him by leaving her bedroom right before he was about to turn the doorknob. Narrowing her eyes suspiciously at him, she asked, "Can I help y' wit' somet'in?"

"No, Remy jus' lookin' fo' Henri, seein' if he was in de room, dat's all," Remy quickly lied, hoping for once that Mercy would buy it. She seemed to be immune to his charms and smiles, and it unnerved him to no end.

"Den what's dat y' holdin' behind y' back?" she questioned, crossing her arms.

Remy gulped, but gave the most charming grin he could muster. "Nothin'."

She just raised a doubting eyebrow and placed her hand out in front of him.

Sighing, Remy handed over the romance novel. "Remy found it in de livin' room, figured it mus' be yours," he tried as a desperate last resort, knowing she probably wouldn't believe him.

To his surprise, she laughed. "Oh Remy, y' don' have t' lie t' me!"

"Remy don'?" he asked cautiously, unsure of what creature might have possessed Mercy and caused her not to severely maim him.

"Y' don' have t' be ashamed o' readin' dese! I always t'ought y' did, I knew y' couldn' come up wit' all dose cheesy lines yo'self, but I never t'ought I'd catch y'!"

"_Quoi?!_ (What?!)" Remy didn't know whether to be insulted or embarrassed. "Mercy, really, Remy don' read dose, he just need it fo' somet'in', now he's returnin' it."

"Oh, hush up. It's nice t' see a man finally embracin' his feminine side. Y' brother jus' makes fun o' me fo' readin' dem, y' know dat? Can y' believe it?" she rambled as she caught his arm and dragged him over to the bookshelf.

"Remy don' _have_ a feminine side! He's _all_ man!"

Getting out her collection, she excitedly started recommending her favourites to Remy. "Read dis one, it's my favourite, set in medieval times, o' dis one's good too, 'bout a couple o' small town friends who realize dey have feelin's fo' each other but den de girl goes missin', it's a real sad one, oh, y'd prob'ly like dis one, 'bout two kids dat try t' rekindle de spark dat happened when dey first met in a bus station years earlier…"

Remy had already tuned her out, internally groaning. 'What Remy do t' deserve dis?'

Luckily, Henri chose that moment to run in. "Remy! We finally got word - de t'ief's on his way."

Hope is a funny thing. Even if it fades away, it can always be replenished, which is exactly what Henri's words caused to happen in Remy. He stood still for a moment, not able to process the words. Then the hope that he thought had gone began to resurge through him, and he ran past Henri towards the meeting room. As his brother followed him, he couldn't resist yelling, "I told y' he existed!"

Bursting in through the door, Remy managed to stop himself before running into the table. "What happened?" he asked his father, already sitting down surrounded by the elders.

"We got word from' de t'ief, _mon fils_ (my son)," replied Jean-Luc.

"_Oui_, Remy already know dat, _qu'est-ce qu'il a dit?_ (what did he say?)" Remy demanded impatiently.

"Patience, Remy. We don' know much, jus' dat he'll be here tonight. All we can do it sit an' wait."

Waiting. Remy had done enough of that lately, patience was not his strong suit. But this was definitely something worth waiting for, so he took a seat. As he looked around, he noticed that the assembly seemed very tense, with a few members missing.

"What's goin' on?" he inquired. "Why everyone look so worried? Where's Lapin? T'ought he'd wanna rub in de fact dat he was right, maybe ask de t'ief his real name…"

"Lapin's gettin' looked after by Tante Mattie, he was found unconscious in an alley. He'll be fine. Looks like de Assassins be gettin' some kicks while dey still can. De others are out front, waitin' fo' de t'ief. Dey'll escort him in when he gets here."

With that said, the waiting began. Dusk fell, but Remy was too stressed to even think about being bored; he kept wondering if the thief really would be able to help him. He hoped so; this was his last chance, it was really down to the wire now. He had never been overly religious, but he sent out a silent prayer anyway, hoping someone or something out there would hear him.

'Please, let some good come o' dis… Remy really be needin' a miracle right 'bout now.'

Hours passed. Finally one of the elders slammed his hand down on the table and shouted, "He ain't gonna show! We been duped!"

Jean-Luc frowned. "We keep waitin'. He'll be here."

Remy opened his mouth to agree his father, but a flicker of movement in the shadows by the door caught his attention. Maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him, or maybe he was just seeing what he wanted to see, but he could have sworn that there was somebody there.

"Remy don' t'ink we need t' do dat," he told the Guild Master. Then turning towards the doorway, he spoke. "Y' can come out now, _mon ami_ (my friend)."

At his call a figure stepped out from the darkness, causing Remy to nearly fall out of his chair in shock. '_Merde...'_

* * *

Bwa ha ha ha ha! How's that for a cliffhanger? Wow, that was fun, I'm definitely gonna be doing that more often.

You wanna find out who the thief is? Do ya? Really? Well, come back for the next chapter! Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel! Well, not really…

So. Hoped you liked it! This was a fun chapter to write, especially the parts between Remy and Mercy. And yeah, I just had to mention St. John in my fic – I love him and since I don't have a place for him anywhere else, I just thought I'd give him a little cameo. Tee hee hee.

The next chapter should be up in a few days, so I'll hope to see you back here!

Kisses,

ish


	4. Windows

**Disclaimer:** Seeing as the X-Men were created before I was born, it's _highly_ unlikely that I would own them. But I'm in the market for a time machine, if anybody wants to sell me one…

**A/N:** So, I take it you all enjoyed my cliffhanger? I know you're probably all grumbling and telling me to hurry and get to the actual chapter, so I won't ramble too much. Just a few responses - that's it, I swear! Please don't hurt me…

Caliente, btch, roguelebeaux003, Anime addicted, Yumiko, nessie6, Kazzeh Sodapop, Skyflyer, taya26, Jukebox, The Rogue Cajun, lid'l rogue, Ellavira, Remy's Angy, chibidrummergirl, the Untouchable Rogue, Anonymous, & Jordanz – Thanks all!

heartyshawk – I wish I could get a hand on one of St. John's books, I bet it'd be hilarious! Seeing as he's completely psychotic and all. We'll just ignore the fact that he's a fictional character… and I agree with you about the socks.

melancholic – I'm your _idol_? Woah, I might not be the best of choices, seeing how I'm insane and all… but flattered! Yeah, I thought you were dead - where are _your_ updates? I love your stuff! Bright Lights has _such_ amazing Romy potential! I'll be waiting, ever so impatiently. And I know how to speak French _in theory_. I took it for 8 years, and managed to forget most of it in 7 months. But it's good enough! I hope.

Rogue4787 & frozen fireball – Wow, you're on the trolley! You were right about the last two fics, the first was Medieval Times by XxFleurdelySxX, I highly recommend reading her stuff, it's great.

De-Femme-O-Da-Night – Full blown kickass, eh? I'm glad, half-assed kickass doesn't have the same ring to it. Ahh, I appreciated your JLo crack. I'm hoping you weren't saying _all_ Romy fics are stupid, cuz if so, then you might start to feel slightly disillusioned with this one… But thanks for all your compliments! You're too kind.

Krac – Hunt you down and kill you, eh? Uh oh, then it sounds like whoever dies would be somebody I'd be upset about. You _BETTER_ not kill who I _THINK_ you're gonna kill! shakes fist threateningly at you Cuz yeah, then I really _would_ have to hurt you. But hey, I'm glad for more Romy into the Arc! I can't wait for an update, hint hint. And hmm, you've resorted to quoting a "wise woman"? You've learned fast, young grasshopper. I'm sure you'll like this chapter.

Princess of Monkeys – Huzzah for humour indeed! Yay for appreciating my twisted little mind. I'm a generally funny and quirky person, so I just felt the need to have something amusing in the fic, rather than just loads of angst and depression. I'm glad everybody seemed to like the romance novel bit! That was a spur of the moment thing. Hmm, you're reading my fic instead of working? Glad I could tear you away from the tedious shuffle of the corporate world. ;-)

Cloud of Blood – Hey, I said you _weren't_ an idiot! Can't you _read_? Idiot. Hah hah, just kidding! Really.

Goldylokz – Thanks for the description! Music junkie, eh? What's your fave band? I'll make you wear a shirt of theirs – mainly cuz it's an easily describable article of clothing. Woo, laziness! I'll give you a heads-up when you're chapter will come up, it might be a while though. Hobbit, eh? Have you seen Return of the King? I think the hobbits are quite gay. Me and my friends were doing voiceovers of the movie with sexual comments, it was very amusing. Yeah, I'm pathetic and easily amused. But props for quoting from the Princess Bride, I _love_ that movie!

Krys Xanthina – This quick enough for ya? I must liberate the bunnies from you! I don't think they appreciate having stars stapled to their foreheads… But hey, I like your bunny/Stan Lee plan. That _might_ just work! runs off to find Stan

Star-of-Chaos – That depends, who do you think it is? Cuz if you're hoping for Johnny Depp or Mr. Bean, you may be slightly disappointed. Well, alright, _very_ disappointed.

SSJ Tokya – Alright, your explanation makes sense, I forgive you. But what's this, wanting to mooch Remy all to yourself?! We can't be having that! Maybe we can clone him, and then each have one! Or many, preferably. We'll get on that.

Tokyobabe2040 & Rogue77 – You both scare me just a little bit. I'm just gonna back away _real_ nice and slowly…

Panther Nesmith – Emil and Henri action? You dirty, dirty girl! Although, now that you mention it, hmm… yeah, maybe not. I'm glad you like it. But why would I want fire ants in my underpants? Unless… argh, you've dragged my mind down into the gutters with yours! Shame on you, you're such a bad influence!

Calliann – Another Nobel? Sweet! Hmm, you're going through withdrawal, eh? Hell, try _writing_ this thing! I'm _dying_ for Romy! Although I think this chapter may help a bit… ;-)

Aro – You're quite quick with the reviews, Robin! Which is a good thing. Although this last one did seem a bit nonsensical. Are you sure you haven't _already_ had your mental breakdown? Just checking.

Green Eyed Lilys Daughter – You were at the beach? That just throws off my internal clock, since it's December and freezing where I am. Which is Canada, so no surprise there. _Cold_? In _Canada_? gasp! shock! swoon! Good thing my igloo's insulated. ;-) And yes, very good point about sexism. There'll be some more stuff on that next chapter. So tune in!

Eileen Blazer – I know, _damn_ me for keeping my updating promises! I could just leave you hanging… yeah, I thought so. I'm enjoying the fact that you're enjoying this! And hmm, you liked the nod to a certain story about certain people at a certain bus station, eh? I wonder why that seems so familiar? ;-) Wow, I love that you love all those things! But rather than pomegranate juice, I think it might be merlot. And no, you haven't been scatterbrained, cuz I haven't actually mentioned the word Rogue yet. Oh wait, dammit, there it was! Oops. Yeah, I know what you mean about it being hard to pay attention when Remy's involved. The drool gets distracting, doesn't it? Well, I'm _oh_ so happy you like it, your praise means a lot to me! Hopefully this chapter will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, I know it did the same to me!

Alrighty, now the time you've _all_ been waiting for, I'm sure. I can't count the number of reviews that asked, "Is it Rogue?". Well, maybe it is, maybe it isn't. You'll get your answer soon enough. Read, my pretties!

* * *

February Fifteenth

**Chapter Four – Windows**

** 6 years ago **

Three a.m., bored guards, and jewels just ripe for the picking - the perfect combination for thieving. This would be too easy. Such a confident attitude might spell disaster for some, but not for Gambit. He was good at what he did. Very good, in fact. His father gushed about how he was on the way to becoming a Master Thief, but that was still a long way off. For now, he was breaking into the New Orleans Museum of Art on his first ever solo excursion.

He wasn't nervous. He never got nervous; it just didn't happen. Besides, there was no reason for it. The break-in was carefully organized, and things were going according to plan. Remy had already hooked the cameras onto a constant loop so there was no need to avoid them, giving him more freedom of movement. The guards were at their normal stations, some dozed while others listened to the radio; they wouldn't be a problem. Now he was silently making his way through the ventilation system, using his lean and limber body to his advantage.

With the layout of the museum memorized, it was no problem getting through the metal maze. Pausing in front of an air grate, he took out the necessary tools to open it. Carefully laying the screen down, Remy climbed out of the hole and nimbly flipped to the ground.

'Dis be a bit too easy,' he thought. 'Where be de challenge?'

Moving past various display cases, he walked over to his goal. A large collection of gems lay on a black velvet throw, glistening in the moonlight. Rubies, diamonds, emeralds, sapphires; they were all there, and all beautiful. But Remy didn't waste time staring at them; it was nothing he hadn't seen before. He reached for his packet of tools, about to dismantle the alarm and gather the jewels, when he froze.

Looking around, he frowned. He had sensed a movement. It couldn't have been a guard; they were hopelessly incompetent. It would be a cold day in the bayou before one could sneak up on Gambit unnoticed. Then what was it? Seeing nothing, he relaxed and made to reach for his tools, but twirled around and aimed a kick behind him instead.

"Ain't nobody can pull a fast one on' de Gambit," he grinned as he viewed a mysterious figure, but the smile quickly dropped when his kick was dodged and a punch came right back at him.

Gambit jumped back out of reach, and then ducked when more hits came. Dropping to the floor, he swept his legs out in an arc, but the other thief jumped over them, lashing out with a boot to Remy's head. With lightening fast reflexes he caught the foot before it made contact, and using the assailant's own momentum against him, flipped him over. Not one to waste an opportunity, Gambit quickly jumped on top of him, pinning the figure to the ground beneath him.

"Not bad, _homme_ (man)," he laughed. "But not good 'nough t' …"

Remy trailed off as he actually got his first good look at the other thief, and was frozen in shock. He just stared, captivated by the greenest, purest, and most vibrant emeralds he had ever seen in his life. And he had seen quite a lot too, most of which he had stolen. But he had never seen anything like this pair before.

They weren't set in a ring or necklace, but rather in a face. A beautiful, perfect face. The thief wasn't a man, like he had assumed; it wasn't even a boy. It was a girl. He had to blink after looking at her, to make sure she was real. She had to be the most gorgeous girl that Remy had ever seen; he actually felt his heart skip a beat as he looked down at her.

The moonlight streaming in through the windows bathed her pale skin, danced upon her full lips, and highlighted the unique white streaks framing her face. He managed to take in all these details without breaking eye contact with her; he simply couldn't look away from those stunning eyes.

It was said that the eyes are the windows to the soul. Remy had always scoffed at that, mainly because of his own demon ones. If it was true, then surely there was no good inside of him. However, in an instant his mind was changed. He looked into the girl's eyes and saw something that he felt _must_ have been her soul. It was full of beauty, but also of sadness and hurt. In that moment he would have given anything to make her forget about her pain. However, he was struck with a realization; she was still staring into his eyes as well.

Remy hated his eyes. They caused him nothing but heartache; they were the reason that he had to live on the streets, that people ran away from him in terror, and that they called him _le Diable_ (the Devil). But searching the eyes of this enchantress, he couldn't find a single trace of that fear or hatred. He had never experienced this before; yes, some people were now accustomed to his eyes, but even his family had flinched and started in the beginning. Not her, though. There was surprise, astonishment, and a bit of confusion evident in her face, and also some emotion Remy couldn't describe - but no fright. He wanted to speak and find out who this vision beneath him was, but he couldn't seem to form any words.

'_Merde_, what is dis _fille_ (girl) doin' t' me?' wondered Remy as some semblance of coherent thought began to return to him.

Suddenly he realized that he was still on top of her. Although he liked that particular position, he slowly moved to stand, extending his hand to help her up as well. Still not looking away, she took Remy's hand. Not expecting her to be so light, he used a bit too much strength, which resulted in her being pulled directly into his arms. All of a sudden their lips were barely an inch away from each other's and he felt a burning desire to kiss her, to see if those lips really were as soft and lush as they appeared.

As he slowly began to bend his head down towards her, a sudden noise caught their attention. Finally severing their gaze, the spell between them was broken as a guard made his way down the hallway and into the room. As a flashlight's beam cut through the darkness, the pair jumped apart from each other to avoid being caught.

Stealthily making his way back into the ventilation system, Remy hoped his mystery girl would follow. He waited until after the guard left and dropped back down into the room to look for her, but there was no sign that she had ever been there. She was gone.

** Present Day **

It was his biggest regret, and others knew it. They just didn't know the real reason. After exiting the museum without the jewels, he had caught hell from his father for messing up such an easy job. His family assumed that he was angry at himself for making such a mistake, but they were wrong. The mistake was not kissing _la fille de ses rêves_, the girl of his dreams.

That's how Remy referred to her, since he didn't have a real name to call her by. The moniker was quite apt however, as he did end up dreaming about her, night after night. The dreams became less frequent over the years, but he had one just last night.

He had dreamt that he was waiting at the alter, with Belle walking down the aisle towards him. As she got closer, she started to change, until she was no longer the blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty he was betrothed to. She was _her_. She then turned and ran away, with Remy giving chase. He ran and ran; just as he was about to reach out and grab her, he awoke, sweating and tangled in his sheets. He hadn't been able to get back to sleep after that.

Once more, he had given up hope; this time it was of seeing her ever again. Going back year after year to the same place they first met was both pleasure and punishment for him. When he went and waited, there was always the slim chance that she might show up that kept his dream alive. Yet she never did, and Remy always left more desperate and depressed than ever. He supposed it was ample penance for not taking advantage of the chance he had, and letting it pass by.

He _had_ given up hope. But that wonderful feeling came rushing back as soon as the figure in the meeting room stepped out of the shadows. It was _her_.

If Remy had felt his heart skip a beat when he first looked upon her all those years ago, it surely must have stopped now. Once again the moonlight fell upon her pale skin, giving her an almost ghost-like appearance, which was even more accentuated by the black clothes and makeup she wore. Remy was worried that she might indeed be a ghost; this seemed impossible, and much too good to be true. However, the other Guild members seemed to be able to see her too, which reassured him.

"Who do y' t'ink y' are, just walkin' in here, _fille_?' asked one of the elders.

She regarded him coolly, and then looked around the rest of the table. When her gaze passed over Remy he saw a spark of recognition and surprise in those gorgeous eyes, and his heart leapt with joy. 'She remember dis Cajun! Glad to know pinin' o'er her wasn' one sided… y' hope.'

Looking back to the elder, she calmly raised an eyebrow and stated, "Ah'm Rogue. Y'all called?"

* * *

Now wasn't that _fun_, boys and girls? It felt _so_ good to write this, you have no idea how badly I wanted good ol' Romyness right from the beginning. But sadly, I followed a plot. So blame it, not me! I _swear_ I wanted fluff from the start. Well, it's finally here. Pure, sweet, Romy dribble. Is there anything better? It was quite cathartic writing this, hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Next chapter – will Rogue accept the Guild's job?

Ahh, now that Rogue's in the fic, I'm sure you're all giddy and squealing. I know I am! Hats off to all of you that guessed Rogue was the thief, gold stars for you! I was worried that it was predictable, but apparently I had a few of you stumped, so maybe it wasn't. Whatever! The point is, _huzzah_. The Romyness has begun, and shows _no_ signs of stopping! Let us rejoice. And tune in next time!

By the way, don't forget to review! I've got over 90, that's _great_! We'll break 100 soon! ;-)

Kisses,

ish


	5. Language Barrier

**Disclaimer:** My goal is to own the X-Men, a small tropical island, and Johnny Depp. Sadly, my plans have yet to come to fruition. _Sigh…_

**A/N:** _Happy New Year, all!_ And what better way to start off the year than by reading my fic? Yeah, you're all happy that Rogue's finally here, aren't ya? Of course. Who wouldn't be? Doesn't this just _reek_ of upcoming Romyness? Tee hee hee, taunting you is just _so_ fun! Sorry, I'll stop now. Responses, here we go!

roguelebeaux003, tone, Cloud of Blood, Smirnoff Ice Lover, archmagus, Yumiko, khay, MeowzKat, Tokyobabe2040, Personage, Rogue4787, the tiny one, Lightspeed Suzuka, Calliann, bacon the pig, Lid'l Rogue, Star-of-Chaos, Zen Bailong, The Rogue Cajun, Melfina Lupin, Michelle, Rogue77, Araya-Michiru, lil, Anime addicted, Ellavira, S.I.M5, Rogue14, frozen fireball, Luna, Kaylessa, & ladychopsticks – Aww! I'm feeling the love. Thanks all!

Green Eyed Lilys Daughter – Days of Our Lives, eh? I'm addicted to Passions. And I don't think it's crazy not to be visiting the beach when it's literally freezing outside! Well, here at least. Although there are people that go on New Year's and run into the lake naked, it's called the Polar Bear Dip. They're obviously all _insane_.

Krys Xanthina – Ahh, bunnies. They can be quite vicious sometimes, and turn on you in an instant! Be warned.

De-Femme-O-Da-Night – I'm glad you're sticking with this! Hmm, maybe I'll convert you to the Dark Side… bwa ha ha!

Panther Nesmith – I'm glad I rock somebody's socks! My next step is to rock the socks off a fox, but I haven't managed that yet. Oh, but one day… mark my words! And yes, we should definitely hide the children, we can't be healthy for them.

Goldylokz – Let's do the time warp agaaain… Sorry, I just had to do that. Anyhoo, thanks for the band name. In theory, you _should_ be appearing 2 or 3 chapters from now, if everything goes according to plan. Which it most likely will not.

Princess of Monkeys – I agree with you on fluffy mushy Romyness. Hmm, if you like it so much, why don't you stick some more in _your_ fic, eh? Hint hint! As to your question about the powers, I can answer half of it. Remy has his powers – remember when he was bored in the meeting room and charged the cards in chapter 2? As for Rogue… well, you never know what kind of tweaks I might make! Hence the glorious title of AU. Once again, thanks for your compliments!

Seven Sunningdale - squeal! Ooh, I'm so glad you reviewed my fic, I'm honoured! Hey, rules are made to be broken. Hmm, this may take a while, since you gave 4 reviews – not that I mind, of course! I've left long, rambling reviews to every chapter of your fics, haven't I? My, how the tables have turned! So I'm an Encyclopedia? Cool, how apt. Don't worry, I wholeheartedly join you in your hatred of Belle. She hasn't really done anything to deserve it _yet_, but the key word there is yet. She'll show up eventually, and feel free to hate her _all_ you want. Hmm, Rogue as the thief's sexy, sexy daughter? Ooh, I like that! I could've made that work… Well, too late now. Unless you mind my rewriting the whole fic, of course? Ahh yes, remember mushiness? You _know_ you want some in your fic, right? And gee, no pressure at all – but I did understand your Ebert comment. I can't promise I'll try, but I'll try to try. ;-) Hopefully it'll meet your standards! And I'm holding you to your promise of reviewing every chapter – you OWE me! You're thousands of words in debt, my friend! Naww, just kidding. But I'd appreciate it, so thanks!

Mercury Dream – Well, you had interesting ideas on how I would get Rogue in, like the Shadow King. Interesting, but wrong. ;-) Sorry about Storm, but she's not in my fic. In fact, no more X-Men are. Although there _will_ be another comic character showing up, dun dun duhh! Aren't my little teasers fun? And yeah, I had to stop writing after the "lean and limber" bit too, so I could catch my drool so it wouldn't short out my keyboard. Methinks that'd be a bit counterproductive. By the way, I've got a spot for a certain bartender coming up in a few chapters. Mind if I borrow him? I'll take good care of him!

SadYear – Your reviews were amusing to read, especially since they progressively craved Rogue. I got her in eventually! And I think the Guild would have various stuff written down, to pass on throughout the generations and whatnot. Cities still have obscure and out-of-date laws on the books, so I just applied that to the Guild as well, which is like a little society by itself. And you say my French is good? We'll sure see after this chapter!

hnh – Indignantly staring? That's a new one, but a very creative approach. Ahh, don't look at me! Stop it!

Remy's Angy – Don't worry about the lameness, I'm not offended. I _know_ I'm lame! And if you're wondering about Belle, read the part in Seven's response. And Lapin is cute, but I don't think she deserves him. In fact, I kinda want him!

SSJ Tokya – I'm disillusioned with the animated Remys – TAS had a mullet, and the Evo one has a mushroom cut. It really hurts me. And I totally agree, Rogue is no mere fille! As you'll see in this chapter…

Aro – Hey, guess what? If I counted right (which I most likely didn't, since I'm incompetent with numbers), you were my 100th reviewer! squeal, hugs you, and showers you with confetti and multi-coloured stars! Maybe I could give you crayons for your new colouring book, I _love_ colouring books! And crayons too, for that matter. I think I want to be the person that makes up all the cool names for them, I'm quite good at that.

Krac – Why yes, you _do_ need fluffy Romy goodness! Glad I could inspire you. I'll be waiting for the fluff and the _not_ killing of people! cough cough Or I'll have to hurt you! cough Woah, excuse me. I think I have a cold… ;-)

Ahoy, here we go! Ye be warned, says I. Arrh.

* * *

February Fifteenth

**Chapter Five – Language Barrier**

The members in the meeting room were in various states of shock and disbelief, although for different reasons. Remy, for one, could not grasp the fact that the girl he constantly thought about for six years was now standing in front of him. And she was the thief that the Guild called in, no less! Just like their last meeting, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. He drank in every detail, from her leather ensemble, to her combat boots, to her black painted fingernails.

She looked dark, gothic. The complete opposite of Belladonna, who sometimes wore colours so bright and blinding that you could see her a mile away. He was glad; he had known that there was something different about this girl, this Rogue, when he had met her. It made Remy happy to know that she seemed so unlike his fiancée; he didn't think he could handle another girl like Belle, and he didn't want to either.

Across the room Rogue was also surprised, and like Remy, was hiding it well. She had just waltzed unannounced into a room of Thieves, which was generally not a smart thing to do. She had to be careful and pull this off correctly. 'Just keep cool, gal. Yah can do this,' she reassured herself. The main thing to do was not look at the amazingly attractive Cajun with the red and black eyes.

She remembered him. How could she forget? It seemed like those eyes had been burned into her soul. She knew that if she looked back into them, then she wouldn't be able to look away; exactly like what had happened six years ago. Using all of her willpower, she forced herself to look towards the Guild Master.

He and the rest of the attendees were also stunned, but not from recognition. No, they were more astonished that this mere girl managed to make her way undetected into the meeting room of the Thieves Guild.

"I'm afraid y' mus' be mistaken, _mademoiselle _(miss)," spoke Pierre, one of the advisors. "Nobody here called fo' y'. Y' deliverin' de herbs dat Tante Mattie ordered, _oui_? She be down at de end o' de hall."

Remy was insulted at the man's words, despite the fact that they were not even directed towards him. 'How big an idiot is dis _homme_?' he thought, as he looked over towards Rogue. 'She gonna take dis _merde_?'

On the inside, Rogue was fuming. 'How big of an idiot is this guy?' she seethed silently. 'Calm yo'self, it won't da ya no good t' piss him off.' To her credit, she only bristled slightly on the outside. Placing a hand on her hip and giving an indignant smile, she sweetly told him, "Hun, I think yah might be th' one who's mistaken. Ah ain't no delivery gal. Ah'm th' thief ya called fo'."

Silence followed her admission as the words slowly began to sink in. After processing her reply, Pierre angrily stood up and in a dangerously low voice, asked her, "Who do y' t'ink y' are, _fille_? I advise y' not t' lie t' y' superiors like dat again, _comprenez-vous?_ (Understand?) Now, I've had a bad night waitin' fo' a t'ief dat t'inks himself too good t' come when he says he will, so I'd appreciate y' leavin' befo' we make y'!"

'That's it, Ah ain't takin' his shit,' she told herself. Eyes narrowing and taking a step forward, she spat out, "An' Ah advise ya not t' insult people y' want help from."

"Dat's it! Get _la conasse_ (the silly bitch) out o' here!" he yelled back, having enough of her attitude.

At that, Remy had more than enough. Quickly standing up to face Pierre, he firmly said, "Y' not gonna do dat. Sit down, _et_ _fermez votre bouche!_ (and shut your mouth!)"

Turning his glare on to Remy, he stated, "Y' can't order me around, so don' even try, _garçon_ (boy)."

"_Non, il ne peut pas, mais je peux. __N'oubliez pas qui donne les ordres ici. Tu dérailles _(No, he can't, but I can. Don't forget who gives the orders here. You are out of line)," reprimanded Jean-Luc sternly, standing up to join the argument. "_Asseyez-vous_ (Sit down)."

As they settled he looked over to their mysterious guest, who hadn't moved and was looking upon them with a rather curious expression. "Pardon de interruption, _mademoiselle_, we jus' had t' clear up some t'ings," he explained to her.

"Not a problem," she replied. "Ah can wait, Ah've got th' time."

"Ahh, but we don'. We have somet'in' dat needs t' be done, and dere ain't much time," the Guild Master told her. "So, let's cut t' de chase den. Are y' _L'ombre_?"

"Ah've got lots o' names."

"_Pardonnez-moi_ (Pardon me), but one o' dose names wouldn' happen t' be _Le Fantôme_, would it?" Henri interrupted, hoping that Lapin wouldn't have a reason to gloat any time soon.

"That's one o' them, yeah. But Ah like t' go by Rogue."

"So, y' be de untouchable t'ief, den? Y' never leave a trace o' evidence, nothin'. Nobody can even lay a hand on y' - not de authorities, not other t'ieves, y' dat good," continued Jean-Luc.

"Yah tryin' to make me blush?" asked Rogue with a grin. "Yeah, that's me. So, what can Ah do fo' ya'll? It's my understandin' that a weddin' needs stoppin'."

"_Un moment!_ (One moment!)" called an elder. "_Comment pouvons-nous être sûrs que c'est le voleur?_ (How can we be sure that this is the thief?)"

Rogue shifted and sighed; again with their arguing. 'This could take a while,' she mused as she began to examine her nails in boredom, hoping they could finally agree on something.

"_Je la crois _(I believe her)," stated Jean-Luc, after a moment's consideration.

"_Moi aussi_ (Me too)," agreed Remy. 'After all, Remy saw de _belle_ (beauty) in action, non?' he added on in his head.

"_C'est ça. Elle a sortie furtivement dans notre maison, après tout_ (That's right. She _did_ sneak into _our_ house, after all)," put in Henri.

"_Je suis soupçonneux d'elle_ (I am suspicious of her)," spoke up another thief.

"_Ce n'est pas une surprise – elle est un mystère_ (That's not a surprise – she's a mystery)," said Remy. 'One dat Remy wants t' solve,' he thought to himself, before continuing on. "_Mais le mariage a lieu en deux jours. Nous avons besoin d'aide et elle peut nous le donner. Remy croit qu'elle peut le faire_ (But the wedding takes place in two days. We need help and she can give it to us. Remy believes that she can do it)."

"_Et je le crois aussi_ (And I believe it too)," Jean-Luc told the group. Then he turned back to Rogue, caught her attention, and proceeded to tell her the situation. "M' son Remy will be gettin' married on Valentine's Day," he began, as he nodded towards Remy to indicate whom he was referring to.

'Remy? His name's Remy? Oh, that's sexy,' Rogue thought to herself. 'Wait, _he's_ th' one gettin' married? Damn, ya sure can pick 'em, can't ya?' Now she couldn't resist a little peek at him. Sliding her glance over the tiniest bit, she saw him stare at her, but then look away with an unhappy expression once his father mentioned his upcoming nuptials. 'Doesn't he wanna get married? Maybe not, aren't ya here t' break up a weddin' after all? On Valentine's Day? That's clichéd. Ahh, listen up, gal!' she scolded herself as she snapped back to attention, and listened to what else the Guild leader was telling her.

"He's t' marry an Assassin t' ensure peace b'tween de Guilds, but we t'ink dat some o' dem be plottin' t' kill Remy after dey marry. Dat would hand de power o'er t' his wife, and de Assassins. What we need is somebody t' find out what dey be plannin', if anyt'in' at all. Can y' do dat?" continued Jean-Luc.

"Not a problem," Rogue told him.

"Y' aware o' de fact dat y' only got tomorrow befo' de weddin'? Is dat enough time?"

"Ah can do it."

"Y' sure 'bout dat, _fille_?" remarked Pierre. "Y' seem pretty damn confident 'bout y' abilities. I doubt just anybody could infiltrate de Assassins in one day an' find de information we need."

"Ah ain't arguin' with ya – just anybody couldn't do it. But Ah will," she told him, with her head held high and eyes sparkling determinedly. That man was infuriating.

Remy was enthralled by the woman; she was… something else. To be able to come in here, stand up to the Thieves Guild, and go off the spy on the Assassins, she simply must have been. He was never one to believe in silly things like angels, but he realized that's what the being in front of him was. Not only in appearance, but in purpose as well; she had appeared in his time of need, and was going to help him escape his fate. He almost expected this to be another dream, because so many good things simply didn't happen to him.

His musings were broken by Jean-Luc, who was concluding the meeting. "Do y' need a place t' stay? We'd be mo' dan happy t' put y' up here, just de beginning o' repayin' y' fo' helpin' us," he asked Rogue.

She smiled politely, but declined. "Thank ya fo' th' offer, but Ah've already got a hotel room," she told him as she turned and prepared to leave. "Ah'll come by tomorrow an' tell ya what Ah've found out."

"_Merci beaucoup, chère_ (Thank you very much, dear)," Remy spoke up before she left. He wasn't going to waste another chance with this girl; he simply had to talk to her before she left, and hear that dulcet southern drawl again. "We appreciate y' helpin' us like dis," he told her, staring at her and trying to convey how much this really meant to him.

Turning back around, she met his gaze unflinchingly as ever, and gave a warm, true smile. "Welcome, sugah. Ah'm glad t' help out."

Their moment was broken by Pierre, who once again felt the need to voice his displeasure. _"Jean-Luc, je suis désolé, mais je suis en désaccord! Ce n'est pas une bonne décision à faire!_ (Jean-Luc, I'm sorry, but I disagree! This is not a good decision to make!)"

_"Soyez heureux que ce n'est pas votre_ _décision à faire._ (Be glad that it isn't your decision to make)," replied Jean-Luc, rapidly losing his patience with the other man. _"Et aussi soyez heureux qu'elle ne comprend pas le français que vous l'insultez avec quand nous demandons son aide! _(And also be glad that she doesn't understand the French you insult her with when we are asking for her help!)"

Tired of having his orders questions, he turned back to Rogue and told her, "G'night, _mademoiselle_."

"G'night," she replied, and headed for the door. Before she left the room however, she looked over her shoulder and said, "Oh, boys? _La prochaine fois que vous insultez quelqu'un, assurez-vous qu'ils ne savent pas le français _(The next time you insult somebody, make sure they don't know French)." And with that, she gave them all a smirk and made her exit, once again causing a stunned silence in the room.

* * *

Oh yeah, Rogue don't take no guff! Grr, stupid sexist thieves. Well, mostly just Pierre. But hey, some conflict was needed, hence the assholeyness of him! So, hope you liked it. She sure made a nice impression, didn't she?

Next chapter – we finally get to Rogue's point of view about things! I'm sure you're all dying to see the inner workings of her mind, aren't you?

Alrighty. I've got a few days left of my winter break, and still haven't started to work I have to do. I should probably get on that. But I'll try my darndest to get one more chapter out. In fact, I guarantee one more chapter, and will try _super_ hard for two, but don't hold your breath. _Please_ don't hold your breath! I don't want to be held liable for any deaths, cuz I'm sure you won't get such fast updates while I'm in prison. So check back here in a few days, you'll have at least one more chapter by Sunday.

Hey, don't forget to review, pretty please! We've beat 150, can we try for 200?

Kisses,

ish


	6. Contemplations

**Disclaimer:** Nope, still don't own them. I'll let you know when I do!

**A/N:** Alright, so I kept my promise and impart upon you another update! But you know the drill, responses first. By the way, I'm showering ALL my reviewers with gold stars! Wow, we've beaten 200, and it's only been 5 chapters! I feel so… powerful! Like frozen fire said, I've pretty much got an army following my fics. I hereby dub you all "**ishandahalfarianites**" (try saying _that_ ten times fast!). Now go do my bidding! … No? Well, I tried.

Calliann, GWFreak315, Kaylessa, Kazzeh Sodapop, syd, ladychopsticks, Epona, Melfina Lupin, Jukebox, Rogue14, chibidrummergirl, Lucky, SadYear, Jordanz, Tokyobabe2040, frozen fire, Michelle, Rogue77, Lid'l Rogue, SassyGrl024, Katrina5, Turquoise, Lightspeed Suzuka, Rogue4787, Zen Bailong, Personage, Midnight Selene, RoguesHeart, & De-Femme-O-Da-Night – You all get medals for continuing to feed my delusional ramblings and insanity. Thanks!

mAd RoGuE – You give the _nicest_ compliments _ever_! I think you should be a motivational speaker. Yay for you! ;-)

Green Eyed Lilys Daughter – I don't live very far north, I'm quasi-near Toronto, which is fairly south. Not that it matters, because _everywhere_ is damn cold! shakes fist at the psycho who invented winter By the way, you're the zillionth (or maybe third) person to comment about Rogue examining her nails! Wow, I never realized it was so great. Yay for me!

Eileen Blazer – Honestly woman, you've gotta get on the trolley! You're slow, tra la la… points and laughs at you Hmm, will taunting help? I'm glad you're addicted - now you know how I feel! Imagine if I didn't update for months, how would you take it? I bet you'd be all twitchy, just like I am when I check to see if _you_ update! Sorry, I just had to vent a bit. You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours… just replace the word 'scratch' with 'update', and 'back' with 'fic', and I think we've got a good deal, don't we? Pretty please?! ;-)

edanielrya – Thanks for reviewing! Looks like my shameless plug worked – excellent… steeples hands in Mr. Burns-esque fashion Woah, 3yr-olds on candy? Scary. One day we'll race them vs. my crack bunnies, and we'll see who's faster once and for all! Name the time and place, and I'll be there!

The Rogue Cajun – Reviewer #200! I love you! hugs

Panther Nesmith – I hate Rogue as an idiot too. She strong, and that's how I'll write her, dammit! And yes, big words are fun – for example, antidisestablishmentarianism! Now I need to go look that up. And wow, you have _no_ idea how badly I wanna stick Rogue and Remy in that hotel room! Oh wait, I _will_! grins evilly They just won't be doing exactly what we want them too… once again, blame the plot! shakes fist threateningly at it

Cloud of Blood – Wow, I'm so glad that we could all bond over hatred for Pierre. I wanted to slap him too, that's what I was going for. But hey, have you ever thought of the fact that he's just _misunderstood_?! What did he ever do to you?

heartsyhawk – I feel your pain about lacking internet, I went for a month without it one summer - it nearly killed me. Wow, literary masterpiece? squeal! You're my new hero. And don't worry, I will _never_ forget about this fic! It bothers me when authors just abandon them. And hey, I'm glad to respond to your reviews! I'm thankful for you taking the time to write me some. Besides, you're quirky, and I like it!

vespie – Hey! You're sarcastic, odd, and can notice obscure 'Simpsons' quotations! I've found a kindred spirit. And to answer your question, it said in Chap. 1 that Remy was 13 at the time, and it mentions Rogue's age in this chapter. Pay attention! ;-)

Star-of-Chaos – Yes, Rogue indeed does have balls. Well, metaphorically, that is - at least, I hope so. And good question about Pierre, but no, there's no deeper plot behind him. He's just a jackass, plain and simple – but there'll be a villain appearing in a few chapters. And yes you _do_ have to work on your stuff! I'm obsessing over your fic, I _need_ more!

SSJ Tokya – Oh yeah, you showed those Mexican boys! Old school. I'm proud. ;-)

tone – I've watched those soaps, they don't do much for me… I'm stuck on Passions and happy, so don't try to change me!

Aro – Blew your whistle? Haven't heard that before, but I like it! Are you regretting your stupid review now? Not that it was particularly stupid or anything, cuz it wasn't… I should just shut up now. I'm tired too, damn getting up early! Grr.

Goldylokz – No control over her powers? I'm not gonna say anything, except that I love angst as much as the next person. Although that might not mean what you want it to mean… alright, my cryptic comments are confusing me, so I'll just stop.

btch – I've converted you to my French subtitles? YES! I'll try to be nice, and refrain from saying 'I told you so'. ;-)

The anonymous person that either got their name lost by the site or purposely left no name, which is mysterious – I can't decide between Turner and Sparrow, so I'll take them both! Thanks for pointing out my typo with 'untouchable', that was embarrassing. I must've been on the crack, my bad. Nice comment about women's suffrage, that was random! Randomness is fun. Speaking of, I've got a dog named segue! Well, not really, but one day. It'd be a great conversation starter.

bacon the pig - You have no idea how much I cracked up about 'squishy ishy'. Kinda makes me sound like a squid or an octopus or something, but I like it! Extra gold star for you. ;-)

dragonfire99 – The title is your birthday? Weird. Well, happy pre-birthday! And your tale about your mother thinking you're reading gay stuff was priceless. That's why I get all shifty when other people are around and trying to read over my shoulder.

We must move forwards, not backwards! Upwards, not forwards! And always twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom! Or in this case, towards the chapter and another random 'Simpsons' reference. Ahoy hoy!

* * *

February Fifteenth

**Chapter Six – Contemplations**

Walking down the dark city streets, with her black clothing allowing her to blend into the shadows, Rogue ground her teeth in aggravation. 'Who'd that asshole think he was?' she seethed, still fuming about Pierre. 'Ah could kick his ass in twenty different ways.' She had desperately wanted to, but realized that probably wouldn't have made a very good impression with the Guild; she was glad she had managed to exercise some willpower.

Speaking of willpower, she would definitely need more of it - especially with Remy now in the picture. She had known that there was a chance she would meet the red-eyed Cajun when she came back to New Orleans; after all, it was the place they had met six years ago. She just hadn't known that he would be in the meeting room when she barged in! And she certainly hadn't known that it was his wedding she was… well, she wasn't sure if she was helping it go on, or helping to stop it – it seemed that depended on whom you talked to about it.

Rogue growled in frustration as she reached her hotel and walked inside, and vented some of her anger as she slammed the innocent and undeserving elevator button. Why was she so hung up on him? Why couldn't she stop thinking about him? Why, why, _why_? It wasn't like her. 'Yah do _not_ get all giggly and starry-eyed over guys!' she scolded herself. 'Except fo' this one,' a little voice in the back of her mind interjected.

As much as she tried to deny it, it was the truth. There was something about that boy, something that made Rogue unable to stop thinking about him. 'Well, he might've been a boy when we first met,' she mused while opening the door to her room. 'But looks lahke he's all man now.'

She remembered their first meeting like it was yesterday; it was one of her fondest memories, of which she had precious few. She has been on a routine training exercise for Mystique, so she could evaluate the skills of her young pupil. Rogue may have only been twelve years old, but she was more than capable. Getting in the museum was no problem, nor was avoiding the incompetent guards. She was about to go for her goal, when another thief attacked her. 'Ah held my own, though. Well, until…'

Until she had looked up into his eyes. If you could even call them that; they were like nothing she'd witnessed before. The only comparison Rogue was able to make was to a pair of sparkling rubies, set in the most handsome face she'd ever seen. She was unable to look away from them, and kept staring until a passing guard shook her back to her senses. She regretfully took off, leaving those beautiful eyes behind.

"Ah still can't believe Ah just stared at him lahke that!" Rogue finally burst out, burying her face in her hands. "Gawd, how humiliatin'!" Those were the same thoughts she had for the previous six years. It was mortifying that she had just _ogled_ the guy while she was on a mission; but then again, he had stared back as well. She even thought that he was going to kiss her. 'Ah think Ah wish he had,' she sighed. 'Or maybe Ah should've instead.'

Rogue began pacing the room, and tried to process all the thoughts about Remy that were flooding her head. Yes, she was embarrassed after the fact, but not because of her staring at him. In fact, she would have loved to stare into those eyes all day, as she very nearly did back in the meeting room. Was she embarrassed about failing her job? Mystique gave her hell when she returned without the jewels, but Rogue could care less. Although she was punished with more rigorous training, she just entertained herself by thinking about the sexy thief she had run into. Alright, so that wasn't it; she didn't care about failing Mystique. That part of her life was in the past now anyway.

'Maybe it's th' fact that ya feel somethin' fo' him?' asked Rogue's inner voice, which made her come to an abrupt stop. "No!" she firmly said out loud. That was impossible. She'd met the man twice, and had spoken a grand total of seven words to him. It was ridiculous!

'But ya couldn't stop thinkin' 'bout him. Ya even dream 'bout him.' Pursing her lips as she contemplated that fact, she had to concede to it. Ever since that night in the museum, she had thought about those unique eyes; she'd had dreams about them too. In fact, she had one just last night, after her decision to return to New Orleans.

"Alraght, fahne! So maybe Ah've got a little crush. There's no problem with that! Ah'm not here because o' him!" she told herself. 'But then why _are_ ya here?'

Rogue frowned. That one was easy - she was here to repay a debt to the Thieves Guild. It had _absolutely nothing_ to do with a sexy Cajun that happened to be a part of said Guild. In no way, shape or form. Nothing at all.

'_Riiight_. There's no problem then! After all, ya crush just happens t' be gettin' married t' someone else… An' Ah'm here to potentially break up that weddin'… Which would gave ya a chance with Remy… An' which would also stop any chance o' peace b'tween th' Guilds… Unless they're tryin' to kill Remy in th' first place… Which would then give meh a chance with him…'

"Arrgghh!! What am Ah thinkin'?!" Rogue yelled out and let herself fall backwards onto the soft bed in exasperation. "Yah just have to make things complicated, don'tcha?" She was supposed to help the Guild marry off the Prince of Thieves to ensure peace, and he just happened to be somebody she had feelings for; she was sure that there was some sort of irony present in all of this. Those burning eyes just wouldn't leave her imagination, and if Rogue was honest with herself, she knew just what she wanted to do, but…

This was insane. Not only was she arguing with herself, but she was getting ahead of herself as well. She was here to help, not to date! The important thing was the task she had accepted; she would decide what exactly to do after the whole wedding fiasco was sorted out. 'B'sides, he's prob'ly just another egotistical Cajun asshole like tha rest of 'em,' she tried to convince herself, yet failed miserably. 'He won't be interested in a river rat with a messed-up past… an' Ah'm sure as hell not interested in comin' b'tween two fuedin' Guilds!'

So it was settled then. Changing into her pyjamas and slipping under the covers, she decided, 'Ah'll just do th' job Ah'm here fo' an stay away from Remy... fo' now, at least.'

Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. Clearly her subconscious mind would be no help, since Rogue dreamt about Remy once again that night. She had been back in the museum, reaching for the jewels she was ordered to steal. Stopping to stare at two rubies, she marvelled as everything else faded; they began to turn into Remy's eyes, as the rest of him materialized out of the darkness. Stepping towards him and lifting her head to meet his face, she was about to move her lips to meet his and…

A knock at the door suddenly roused Rogue from her sleep. Groaning, she shook her head free of all thoughts regarding Remy and kissing. 'Bad brain! What are ya' tryin' to do t' me?' she chided herself, while trying to get untangled from the bed sheets.

Making her way across the room, she was now in a bad mood. As if waking her up wasn't a heinous enough crime in and of itself, the knocking had conveniently occurred right before she had the chance to sample some sweet Cajun lips! No, that wasn't the way to think; she was supposed to be avoiding him! 'Well, from this moment on, Ah will be,' she firmly decreed, moving towards the door. Cautiously opening it, Rogue was surprised to see who was standing there. 'Figures…'

"_Bon matin, chère_ (Good morning, dear)," said Remy, as he casually leaned against the doorframe. "Remy didn't wake y', did he?"

* * *

Mmm, sweet Cajun lips… I had to pause after writing that and wipe away the drool… Oh, I mean, there you have it! That, my friends, is the rather twisted mind of Rogue. Not that I should talk, mind you.

Next chapter – Rogue and Remy alone in a hotel room! No, sadly not in the way that you're all thinking. Get your minds out of the gutter! cough Panther Nesmith cough cough

So! I've been uber productive this weekend, and already have the next chapter mostly written out - expect that in two or three days. And as always, reviews will inspire me. So keep it coming! More, more I say! There's never enough! Um, yeah. Thanks!

Kisses,

ish


	7. Obligations

**Disclaimer:** I've got a new plan – maybe I'll just stealthily sneak up behind the X-Men and grab them all! Then I'll lock them in my basement, and I'll finally own them. Cuz you know, there's _no_ possible way they could escape, right? It's foolproof!

**A/N:** Me again! And with a longer chapter this time, huzzah! But that's later. First, a question – why did tons of people comment on 'pyjamas'? Is this some crazy Canadian way of spelling it or something? Is it spelt differently elsewhere? I'm so confused! So if somebody would explain, they'll be my hero. Now, onward to more of my incoherent ramblings!

Mysterious Fan Girl, Michelle, Kaylessa, mAd RoGuE, SadYear, dani, Rogue14, Ellavira, khay, frozen fireball, btch, Jordanz, Personage, hnh, AJ, De-Femme-O-Da-Night, PsychoRomyChica, Tokyobabe2040, Bluefireburns65, Lightspeed Suzuka, Star-of-Chaos, Midnight Selene, SassyGrl024, Pippin plays Bass, Rogue77, The Rogue Cajun, & PomegranateQueen – I gave out a medal last time, so how's about a nice thank-you card? Less glamorous, sure, but more personal and heart-felt!

Krac, Rogue4787, & everybody else asking about Rogue's powers – Patience, my pretties! I didn't forget about them or anything (that is, if there _are_ any), I'm just delaying the information long enough so you'll all be nice and twitchy. ;-)

Gothic Cajun – You're _delightfully_ insane – how fun! Don't worry, I'm always one for avoiding sanity. shudder But I must disagree, I think my crack bunnies could kick your chipmunks' asses any day! Thanks for your compliments – I'm legendary _and_ a Romy goddess? Wow.

msqre – Aww, I'm the first person you reviewed? I feel so honoured! And thanks for your compliments on how I portrayed Rogue. I've always admired her strong character, so you can she sure that I'll write her that way; and I agree, who _wouldn't_ drool over Remy?

Tayrion – New, eh? Don't worry, we'll corrupt you soon enough! Bwa ha ha!

Goldylokz – No comment? Well, I guess that means I can't respond! Except I just did… dammit!

Calliann – Don't worry, you're not the only drooler among us! In fact, I'd be worried about you if you _didn't_ drool.

Princess of Monkeys – Love slave, eh? drool! Well, we can always dream. And kudos for you asking what Rogue's getting in return, nobody else did. There's a quasi answer in this chapter, so read on! And yes, Rogue and Remy were 12 and 13, respectively, when they met. Young, sure, but it works better now cuz they're 6 years older and at nice angsty ages, no? As always, thanks for your review – better late than never! ;-)

Seven Sunningdale – Rogue seeming similar to me is _purely_ coincidental! Alright, fine, you caught me – I'm living vicariously through my fic! But with Remy there, can you blame me? And no, I'm avoiding a jerky Remy, unlike _some_ people. gives you a pointed look Although it'd be nice to give you a taste of your own medicine! I just can't bring myself to do it, and deny everybody (and myself) Romyness.

Aro – Picturing Pyro as a janitor just made me laugh out loud. I _wish_, then I wouldn't have to go back to school! Stupid school – honestly, what has it _ever_ accomplished? It's utterly pointless! I liked your prattle, by the way.

The no-name reviewer – I get what you mean about Belle. Don't worry, I hate her too, so in _no way_ will Rogue take her bullshit! But I like sticking her in, because it provides more conflict, and those oh-so-fun feelings of jealousy. It'll be good, I promise!

Zen Bailong – Wow, I'm honoured! Plus you used the word 'dost', which puts you on my cool list.

Panther Nesmith – Thanks for the socks! I've actually got a pair like that, they're so fun! As a matter of fact, I'm wearing them right now – woah. I love cool socks. Thanks for not pitchforking my plot, I would've had to cry. But here's the hotel room scene! If you really want one of your sex-filled romps, you can just kinda stick it in there yourself, that work for you?

Green Eyed Lilys Daughter – Tee hee hee! You said 'cheerio', I love that! Are you aware that it's also a brand of cereal? Well, at least it is here, I'm not sure about other places. Anyhoo, I haven't mentioned the debt before – since the Guild didn't know the thief was Rogue yet they had supposedly done her a favour, that would imply that they didn't _know_ they helped her out. But that'll be brought up in more detail later! Hope I've adequately confused you.

Mercury Dream – Don't worry about the screwing up of your last review; the confusion has passed, we've all learned from it and managed to grow as people. I'm so proud! wipes away a tear Anyhoo, thanks for the bio! Do you have a little too much time on your hands? I don't know why or how he started working in a bar in New Orleans, but we'll say a wizard did it. ;-)

vespie – In a nutshell, Canada is cold, hockey-obsessed, overrun with Tim Horton's doughnut/coffee franchises, and we _do_ say 'eh' a lot. Or maybe that's just me. As for mayonnaise… huh? We have it, is that weird for some reason? I don't think I've heard that stereotype before.

Cloud Of Blood – Of course everybody talks to themselves! If somebody denies it, they're lying. I do it all the time, and even go one better by talking to inanimate objects.

You all still here? Good. Now, if I may direct your attention down a few lines, here's your chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

February Fifteenth

**Chapter Seven – Obligations**

Remy was nervous. Which was odd, because he never got nervous – it just didn't happen. Maybe it was because he was currently standing at the door of a beautiful woman. No, that wasn't it – he could charm women easily; with one smile they were putty in his hands. Maybe it was the fact that he was at the door of the beautiful woman that had haunted his thoughts for six years? Or maybe it was because she had actually managed to hold his attention for five years, three hundred sixty-four days, twenty-three hours, and fifty-nine minutes longer than anybody else ever had before.

Whatever it was, he would eventually have to knock on the door, so he finally did. When Rogue came to open it, Remy stood there, frozen in wonder – did she look like this right after rolling out of bed? He almost forgot how to talk, but somehow managed to bid her a good morning and feign nonchalance.

Meanwhile, Rogue was faced with several options. She could be mad that Remy had awakened her, be shocked that he was standing outside of her hotel room, be annoyed that she was now forced to break her promise to stay away from him, or be awed by his complete and utter attractiveness. Luckily, she chose none of the above, and decided on actually saying something instead of just staring at him like a smitten fool. Again.

"Mornin'," she finally answered, after reminding herself how to speak. "Can Ah… help ya?" she asked, as she couldn't help but look him over. How could he make a simple outfit like a trench coat, jeans, shirt, and boots look so good? 'Damn, snap outta it! Remember what ya decided?'

"Remy hopes so," he replied with a smile, as he noticed her look him up and down; he decided to do the same, and was amazed at what he saw. Although Rogue was only in a simple tank top and drawstring pants, she still managed to look incredibly sexy. She could effortlessly rival Belladonna, who always slipped on ridiculously expensive designer lingerie when she went to bed.

Beginning to feel a bit self-conscious at the way he was staring at her and avoided elaborating on his comment, Rogue decided should do something about it. "Are ya just gonna stand there an' stare at me all day?"

"Y' serious? 'Cause Remy sure wouldn' mind."

Giving an exasperated sigh, she moved away from the door and invited him into the lavish suite. "Remy needs t' talk t' y', _chère_," he said in a more serious tone upon entering the room. Catching a sense of urgency, Rogue agreed. "But do ya mind if Ah go change first?"

"Only if Remy can watch," he said as the easy-going grin slipped back onto his face.

"Just sit yo'self down, Cajun," she scolded as she pointed to the couch. "Ah'll be back in a sec."

Remy sat and waited for a few minutes, and then found his breath hitched in his throat when Rogue walked back towards him. How could she make something simple like jeans, a shirt, and boots look so good? He snapped back to attention when she sat down on the other end of the couch and began to speak.

"So, why are ya here, Remy? Actually wait, Ah'd rather know how ya found me first."

He gave a little chuckle, and answered, "Y' talkin' t' an almost-Master T'ief, _chère_. Remy have his ways, just like y' have yours."

"Ya just asked th' concierge if he saw a woman with white-streaked hair, maybe slipped him a few bills, right?" she smirked.

"Alright, so maybe Remy's ways aren't always de stealthiest or de most high-tech…" he admitted, which caused Rogue to laugh, and him to smile after he heard the pleasant sound.

After it died down, she began to question him again. "It's the day before th' weddin', don't ya have stuff to be doin'?"

"_Oui_, dere's a rehearsal an' all dat crap around noon," Remy sighed. "But Remy needed t' see y' befo' y' went out."

"Why?"

"Does Remy need a reason to see a _belle femme_ (beautiful woman)?" he flirted, only to have Rogue raise an eyebrow expectantly. Remy gave another sigh, and then looked directly into her eyes. "I don' wanna get married, Rogue."

At his words, hope flared up in her heart before she could repress it. "Ya don't?"

He shook his head. "It's an arranged marriage, t' bring peace t' de Guilds. Remy had no choice in de matter. Someday he wanna get married, t' someone he loves," he told her, as his red eyes seemed to glow while still staring into hers. "But dat's not Belladonna."

"Ah'm sorry," she told him, and meant it. Remy had responsibilities he hadn't asked for, and Rogue understood that; very well in fact.

"T'anks, but dat won't do much good. Dat's why Remy's here, t' ask fo' some help."

"Ah already said Ah would."

"_Je sais_ (I know), but Remy need t' elaborate on dat," he explained. "Can y' tell de Guild dat dere _is_ a plot, even if dere ain't? Den de weddin' can be called off."

Rogue paused as she took in his words. Thinking she would deny his request, he quickly continued. "Remy knows dat he got no right t' ask y' fo' anythin', and dat y' must t'ink dat dis be a cowardly way out, but Remy got no other choice. He wish he could jus' run away from it all, but den de Guilds go back t' war, an'…"

"Remy!" she said as she placed her hands on his knees, trying to calm him down. "It's okay, Ah understand. Ah really do. Ah'll help ya."

Remy stopped rambling, and breathed a long sigh of relief. "_Merci, chère _(Thanks, dear). Remy can't tell y' how much dis means t' him. All dat's happenin' be makin' him a bit high-strung."

"That's alright, sugah. Ah know what it's like ta have… obligations to people. It's hard to break free from 'em, no mattah now bad ya might wanna," she told him quietly.

"Like what?" he asked back, his intuition telling him that this might be a personal topic with her.

Rogue didn't answer back right away; she just stared at Remy for a few seconds, trying to decide whether or not to share this with him. She was very selective with whom she gave her trust too, but this choice turned out to be an easy one. She knew as soon as she looked into his eyes; they were full of concern and kindness, and she believed that she could trust him. He was a thief, full of secrets - just like her.

"Ah was trained to be a thief by a woman named Mystique," Rogue began slowly. "She was a terrorist, knew all th' tricks o' th' trade, so to speak. She adopted meh after Ah ran away from an orphanage, when Ah was little. It felt lahke Ah had a family fo' once, Ah was happy. But when Ah got older, Ah began t' realize the things she wanted meh to do… I couldn't go through with 'em."

At this point, Rogue looked down at her hands, unable to meet Remy's gaze. "Eventually Ah ran away from her. It was a hard thing t' do, 'cause Ah felt lahke Ah owed her fo' takin' care o' me, but Ah just had t' leave. So Ah know how ya feel, 'bout wantin' to get outta all this."

After her admissions, Remy was speechless; not only because of what she had said, but at the fact that they could truly empathize with each other. Placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, he told her, "Remy understands. He was adopted too, off de streets by Jean-Luc LeBeau himself. He took Remy in, an' taught him de art o' t'ievin'. Guess Remy feels he owes him, t' repay him fo' his kindness by tryin' t' bring peace t' de Guilds." Smiling in realization, he said, "Looks like we got somet'in' in common, neh?"

At that, Rogue managed to break into a real smile, albeit a small one, and looked back at him. "Yeah, Ah guess we do."

"Dat why y' came t' N'Awlins? T' help Remy out, 'cause y' been in de same situation?"

"Yes an' no, Cajun. Ah didn't know ya were th' one Ah was gonna be helpin' when Ah heard o' th' job. Ah came 'cause th' Guild helped meh once, so Ah'd lahke to repay th' favour."

At this tidbit of information, Remy raised a curious brow. "_Excusez-moi?_ (Excuse me?)"

"It was nothin' big… After Ah ran from Mystique, Ah ended up here," she explained. "Ah was scared, confused, not really mahself. Ah wasn't sure if Ah was runnin' _from_ somthin' or _to_ somethin'… Anyways, Ah was wanderin' th' city an' a member of yo' Guild helped meh out, gave meh a place t' stay fo' th' night, some food. Ah got help, so when Ah heard y'all asking, Ah decided to give it back."

"Dat's honourable o' y', _chère_," Remy complimented her. "Y' a good person."

At that Rogue's smile faded a bit and she looked away from him, but attempted to light-heartedly say, "Ah try."

"Y' _are_," he insisted.

"Ya don't even know me."

"But Remy'd like t'."

Those words brought the sweet smile back to Rogue's face and even the faintest traces of her blushing, but now her eyes looked troubled. "Ah'd lahke that too… but ya have a weddin' rehearsal, and Ah've gotta go infiltrate th' Assassins, rememba?"

He just grinned. "Ah, _chère_, it's still early! We got time. 'Sides, we ain't even been properly introduced." With this, Remy grabbed Rogue's soft hand and pressed a gentle kiss to the back of it. "Remy LeBeau, at yo' service."

"Charmed, Ah'm sure," Rogue replied with an amused look.

"Don't Remy get yo' name?"

"…It's just Rogue."

"How mysterious."

"Oh good, that's what Ah was goin' fo'."

That caused Remy to chuckle. "Hey, Remy can be mysterious too. He also go by Gambit."

"Ah know. Ya've got yo'self quite a reputation." That was an understatement – she had heard a myriad of stories about him, all praising his skills. He was known as one of the best thieves in all of the Guilds, worldwide.

"So y' heard o' little ol' _moi_ (me)?" he preened. "T'ink Remy might be better den you?"

Rogue was a decent thief, but much of her notoriety was only because she was an enigma, and not because of her talent. She had pulled a few jobs in Guild territories without their knowledge, which guaranteed to attract their attention; from there, the rumours grew. She knew she could never measure up to Gambit - she and Remy did things very differently. "Ah don't doubt it. We've got different styles though, it's hard t' compare."

"Well, what is y' style?" enquired Remy curiously. Rogue fascinated him, and he wanted to know everything he could about her. The fact that she was a fellow thief only served to intrigue him more; now he knew why women seemed to be drawn to mysterious men, who in most cases happened to be him.

She just smirked back slyly. "Lahke ya said, sugah – ya have your ways, an' Ah've got mine."

"Remy t'ink he'd like t' find out y' secrets, _chère_."

"Yah can try, swamp rat."

"Swamp rat?" Remy dramatically gasped, even clutching at his heart for an extra flourish. "Oh, _chère_, y' wound poor Remy. But he'll just take it as a good sign dat we've got pet names fo' each other already."

"Don't know if Ah'd consider that an endearment, _cher_," she mockingly shot back.

"Well, yah can always go back to 'sugah'," he told her in a falsetto voice complete with attempted Mississippi accent, which resulted in Rogue bursting into laughter and almost falling off the couch.

The mirth continued as the pair quickly continued bantering, which eventually progressed into an amiable discussion about anything and everything. Neither Southerner could remember the last time they'd had such a long and pleasant conversation; they were both so wrapped up in each other that the hours passed quickly by.

Remy was concentrating completely on Rogue; he was not only entranced with what she was saying, but also how she said it, the hand motions she got caught up in, and all the expressions that graced her face. He loved her smiles and her laughter, and tried hard to bring them out more often. Making note of every small detail, he eventually noticed her luscious lips; this of course caused the desire he had to kiss them to return.

'_Non_,' he told himself. 'Dat'll just lead to bad places… Actually, to very good places, but dat be a bad idea! Y' weddin' be tomorrow, an' if y' gotta go through wit' it, do y' want de knowledge o' what might happen wit' dis _femme_ t' torture y' fo' de rest o' y' life? Y' won' be able t' go back t' her after y' get married, unless y' wanna be killed… it be best t' not do anyt'in'. But y' promised y'self not t' waste another chance wit' dis one, and dis might very well be de last chance y' have… _Non_! Dis ain't right, y' gotta hold off… _merde_, dis gonna be de end of me.'

While Remy was basking in Rogue's beauty and internally arguing with himself, she was doing much of the same; she loved hearing his stories of the Bayou in his husky accented voice, and how his eyes shone with all his emotions, and how when he laughed, it was deep, rich, and unrestrained. Eventually she began to focus on his lips, and how soft they looked - even better than in her latest dream.

'No,' she told herself. 'Remember what ya told yo'self last night? This'll lead to bad places! Bad, naughty, sexy, good places… No! Stop that right there, he may be gettin' married tomorrow. Then this might be th' last chance ya have… But then could ya live with th' torture o' never havin' him again? Oh, he's so temptin'… damn, this is gonna kill me.'

Much like their very first encounter, the two barely took their eyes off of each other the entire time. Throughout the course of their talk, both had begun to unconsciously inch forward and lean in towards to the other. Finally a pause in the conversation occurred, and they realized how close together they were. Looking to the other's lips, at the same moment both thought, 'Screw it.'

Slowly moving their mouths to finally meet, they were about to touch and… across the room a clock loudly tolled twelve, startling them and breaking the moment. Rogue and Remy both looked towards it, frustrated that once again they were denied a kiss, but also somewhat relieved; both knew that if they were to kiss, they probably wouldn't stop. Yet for obvious reasons, their frustration and disappointment far outweighed their relief.

The chiming of the clock somehow made its way through the cloud of ardour in Rogue's brain, and she gasped. "Shit, Remy! It's noon! Ya have a weddin' rehearsal t' get to, an' Ah've still gotta go after th' Assassins! We've gotta get movin'!"

Remy gave an exasperated sigh. "_Merde_, dat's right. Why y' have t' mention dat?" But his irritation quickly disappeared, and his eyes lit up with a mischievous look. "Y' know, _chère_, y' don' really have t' go now, do y'? Since y' be tellin' de Guild dat a plot exists anyway… An' Remy jus' won' go t' de rehearsal! Dey don' really need him dere, he'd just be standin' dere lookin' pretty anyhow."

"Yah're th' groom - Ah think ya might be a vital part o' th' ceremony," Rogue told him sarcastically as she stood from the couch. "B'sides, Ah'm still goin' after th' Assassins. Fo' all ya know, there might really be a plot. Ya don't want them killin' ya, right?"

Remy grudgingly agreed, and then stood up as well. He helped put on her leather jacket, and then held the door open for her as they left, all in true gentlemanly fashion. It was well worth it, for he was rewarded with Rogue's brilliant smiles. On the way down in the elevator, Remy began to fill her in on some usual Assassin hangouts, hoping to make her job as easy as possible. 'She may be good at what she does,' he thought, 'But Remy wanna make dis as safe as possible fo' her.'

As the pair reached the lobby, Rogue turned to him and said, "Now, ya make sure that ya go to th' rehearsal, Remy LeBeau! Don't ya dare try followin' meh, ya hear? It's fo' both our sakes. We can't have the Assassins suspicious by ya not showin' up, or bein' seen with meh."

"Aww, _chère_, y' t'ink Remy'd do such a t'ing?" he asked with a fake pout.

"Yes."

"Fine den, Remy'll go. Happy now?"

"Yup."

"Good," he grinned, as he lifted up her hand and planted another kiss on it. He had decided that he liked touching her, and since their earlier attempts at kissing had been unsuccessful, he'd have to let this sustain him. For now. "_Bonne chance_, _chère_ (Good luck, dear). Be careful."

With that, the two Southerners walked out of the hotel and off into the city in separate directions, each sparing one last glance at the other.

* * *

Tee hee hee! See, I'm just taunting and teasing you with Romy goodness, yet they never quite make it! Ha ha… you all want me dead, don't you? runs and hides behind the plot

Next chapter – our favourite Southerners are off to their doom! Rogue goes to find the Assassins, and Remy goes off to his wedding rehearsal. Yeah, they're both pretty much screwed…

But now for some quasi bad news. Don't freak out, but I won't be able to update as often from now on. I've got work, I'm back to school, and exams are coming up. I'll still be writing whenever I can, just don't expect updates almost every other day, like you've had. I'll _try_ for once a week. Yeah, that's right, I've made things too comfortable and cushy for ya, haven't I?! Well, welcome to the real world! Toughen up!

Seriously though. Don't fret, there's no way in hell I'm abandoning this baby! The updates will be slow but steady. And as always, reviews just make my day. So bring 'em on! Shall we try to break 300 this time?

Kisses,

ish


	8. Bar talk

**Disclaimer:** I'm running out of witty things to write here. Insert your own, you know how it goes! I don't own the X-Men, blah blah blah…

**A/N:** Guess what? My sister somehow convinced my Mom into letting us adopt a bunny. So you know what that means - I've gotta go feed it some crack! I'll tell you what happens. On to the reviews – looks like a lot of you should start a Clock-hating Club, it'd be good to get all that anger out in constructive ways.

Oh, before we start, I'm going to address the whole power issue! If you all return to Chpt. 2, Remy charges up his cards in the meeting. Which would mean he does indeed have his powers! As for Rogue, I haven't gone into it yet. You'll have to come back next chapter, when I finally get to it. Good? Okay then.

Lightspeed Suzuka, Mysterious Fan Girl, AyLee Cambell, De-Femme-O-Da-Night, Rogue4787, roguelebeaux003, Tokyobabe2040, Anime addicted, bacon the pig, Michelle, Araya-Michiru, lonewolf, MidniteAngelGoth, Loki Eyota, plague, frozen fire, The Rogue Cajun, Cloud of Blood, SadYear, Rogue14, mAd RoGuE, Geminidragon, Katrina5, ladychopsticks, Star-of-Chaos, SassyGrl024, vespie, Rogue77, Midnight Selene, Personage, & Ellavira - Alright, I've given out thank-you cards and medals. Logic dictates that a cake is next in line. Vanilla or chocolate?

Calliann & Remy's Angy – Yeah, I loved the "Bad, naughty, sexy, good places" line too. Imagine me typing that and then drifting off into a lovely fantasy land… oops, there I go again. I've gotta stop that.

Eileen Blazer – I'm glad the pyjamas captivated you. I think I like the 'y' spelling better, doesn't it just _flow_? But what's this, you've almost finished an update? I almost fell off my chair when I read that in the review, so imagine my reaction when I actually get to read _it_!

Krac – That's right, Romy goodness, just as it should be! Notice I managed to actually start in all in _one_ fic! ;-) Nahh, I'll stop taunting you now, cuz you've started it in your new arc, and I'm eternally grateful.

Misa1124 – Ooh, a new convert has entered the fold! Excellent. The answers to your questions regarding the powers are above, and regarding the fics: they were We've Met Before by Eileen Blazer, Hazard by Neurotic Temptress, and Medieval Times by XxFleurdelySxX. Everybody should read their works!

Panther Nesmith – I'm not gonna ask about the duck and duct tape, just smile and nod. But I love maid's outfits, they're so classy! In that kinky way.

Princess of Monkeys – I don't think Canada is AS obsessed with standardized testing. We have general ones in Gr. 4, a math one in Gr. 9, and a literacy test in Gr. 10. Which I think is officially the stupidest thing ever, cuz if you can't read or write by the time you're in Gr. 10, then how the hell did you get there in the first place? But ooh, methinks you might be right about bad stuff happening soon! Bwa ha ha.

Aro – Two bit twit? Wow, that just flows oh so nicely! I think I'm gonna have to start insulting people with that. I just can't see Pyro as a thief. I always wondered why he didn't become a firefighter… Hmm, maybe it's the whole evil/insanity factor.

Goldylokz – Ooh, here's your cameo chapter! Sorry I don't have you waiting on gussied-up transvestites like I did (which, once again, I LOVED), but you get to flirt with Remy. Does that make up for it?

Green Eyed Lilys Daughter – Great, now every time I eat Cheerios cereal I'll think of sausage. I hope you're happy!

Gothic Cajun, heartsyhawk, & Jukebox – Thanks guys, I'm finally informed about the pyjamas/pajamas. It's just craziness! But nice to see two cultures coming together, aww! As promised, you're my heroes. I'll make you all badges or something.

Seven Sunningdale – Reviewer #300, YAY! showers you with confetti and gold stars And yes, I didn't want to steal all of Remy's thieving glory. Oh, steal! Pun! It's funny cuz he's a thief… hey-o! I'm sorry, I haven't had my coffee yet. But yeah, as much as I love Rogue's strong personality, I didn't want her to overshadow Remy in that aspect, cuz it's pretty much all he's got. Aside from his dashing good looks, sexy accent, and all-around spiffiness. But other than all that, he's got nothing!

btch – I completely agree with the nerve-wrackingness of some Romy fics! I mean, there are some excellent ones out there, and I love angst as much as the next person, but I've got a certain level of saturation, at which I start screaming at my computer, "Why can't you just be _happy_, dammit?!". It's not pretty. Henceforth my attempt at as much fluff as I can possibly fit in, in accordance with a plot.

Mercury Dream – Here's your barman chapter! Hopefully I didn't mutilate his character too much. He was a pleasure to work with though, didn't give me attitude like some other characters. Anyhoo, I got your comments about giving into tempting Remy, and not-quite fluffiness. Maybe my understanding of your insanity getting worse is a sign that my own insanity's getting worse too… I just confused myself.

Yumiko – I took a career test and it told me to be a vending machine engineer. Yay, I'm headed straight for a life of luxury!

dragonfire99 – I do NOT always forget to give you a shout out! May I direct your attention to Chpt. 6? And you weren't in 7 because you reviewed it too late, so there! sticks tongue out at you ;-)

Alright. Just to let you know, I've borrowed Mercury Dream's beloved bartender and the waitress is Goldylokz. I obviously don't own them, unless I've unwittingly started a slavery ring. Which I'm pretty sure I haven't. On a related topic, go read their stuff, it's great! Recommending their fics is the least I could do, since they so kindly let me borrow their character/them. Ok, that's out of the way, I bet you're all really curious now – a bartender and a waitress, _where_ could they _possibly_ be? Well, read on and find out.

* * *

February Fifteenth

**Chapter Eight – Bar talk**

Walking away from Rogue and down the street, Remy turned the corner and quickly circled the block. He had said that he wouldn't go after her, but he had to. Just for a few minutes. His head told him that she could take care of herself; she was a thief after all, which was a fairly dangerous profession. Yet his heart disagreed – he had to shadow her for a while, if only to reassure himself that she would be fine. She was entering Assassin territory, and as the name suggested, it was full of trained murderers. They wouldn't hesitate to kill her if they found out what her true purpose was, and that scared Remy. Or maybe it was the fact that he was scared which scared him.

He had only spent a few hours with Rogue, and he already cared deeply about her; it was even stronger than what he felt for his own fiancée, and he knew her much more intimately. Once again, his head and his heart were locked in battle; one said that it wasn't logical to feel so much for somebody, especially after only knowing them for such a short period of time. The other said that rationalizing and analyzing the situation wouldn't help; it didn't matter _why_ he felt what he did, the important thing was that he _did_. As usual, Remy disregarded logic, and followed his feelings. Luckily, all of them were telling him to follow Rogue.

He had to be at his wedding rehearsal at the moment, but this was more important; not only because Rogue could get him out of the event, but because her well-being mattered to him. Remy couldn't remember ever feeling this way before; their conversation had completely driven away all of his negative thoughts. They had been accumulating in his head over the past few years, as the wedding drew even closer – now that the moment of truth was so near, he hardly ever thought about anything else. Yet Rogue easily changed all that, since his thoughts were currently focused on her.

She was walking along a block ahead of him, making her way through the city streets as if she was a local. Heading in the direction of various bars the Assassins frequented, Remy wanted nothing more than to accompany her – preferably to join her in a few drinks and continue their chat. He knew that was impossible, but it didn't stop him from wanting it.

He trailed her for a few more minutes, trying to convince himself to leave. 'Come on, Remy. Y' got places t' be, y' can' make de Assassins suspicious now. T'ings are happenin' now, fo' better or fo' worse.' With one last yearning glimpse at Rogue's disappearing figure, he abruptly turned around and headed for the church.

Remy didn't actually hate weddings; he even thought they were rather nice. Henri and Mercy's wedding was a beautiful event; although they constantly bickered, the love surrounding the two was palpable. The ceremony was their dream come true, the melding of two lives into one, now completely devoted to each other. He wanted to have that one day, not the sham that was set to occur in twenty-four hours.

'Wonder if dey'll be able t' tell dat Remy don' love Belle when dey up at de alter,' he wondered. He was sure that they would; as good as his acting skills were, he honestly didn't know if he would be able to pull this off.

"Remy should get a damn Oscar fo' all dis," he muttered while walking up the cathedral steps.

Pausing before he entered, he took the moment to breathe in deeply and prepare himself for what he was about to do. Plastering on a smile and trying to remember his plagiarized vows, Remy walked inside to his own personal hell.

While Remy was going through the motions, Rogue was barhopping, searching for Julien Boudreaux. He was the key to all of this; unfortunately, he was nowhere to be found. Remy had told her that he wouldn't be at the wedding rehearsal, because he had vehemently refused to have any part in marrying off his sister to "swamp trash".

'Lahke he should talk,' Rogue thought.

Hours passed; she had been to several bars and flirted with countless bartenders, each one directing her someplace else, yet to no avail. She was getting sick of smoke-filled air and men drunkenly eyeing her. Quickly contemplating Remy's proposal of simply making up a plot, she let that thought drop in less than a second; she was going to find out one way or another. She cared about what happened to Remy, and there was no way in hell she was going to let some power-hungry Assassin kill him!

Rogue never gave up easily, and this was no exception. Coming across another tavern, she took a final breath of fresh air and walked inside. The place was fairly large, with dark wood all around and dim lighting. 'A stereotypical dive, how lovely,' she sarcastically commented to herself.

"Good afternoon," came a voice to her right, belonging to the bartender. Turning, Rogue came face to face with a tall, handsome man. He had curly black hair, brown eyes, and smiled at her while wiping down some beer mugs. "I haven't seen you in here before, you new around these parts?"

"Ah'm not exactly a regular," she told him, returning the smile.

"My name's Dan, pleased to meet you," he said, reaching out to shake her hand.

"Nice t' meet ya too," she replied, accepting his gesture.

"Not that it's any of my business, but this isn't exactly the most respectable place for tourists to hang out in, especially the ladies. There are some pretty tough guys that drink here, I'd hate to see you get into trouble."

Biting her tongue to keep a scathing remark from coming out at his slightly chauvinistic attitude, she decided to play up the innocent girl angle. "Really? Aww, thanks for lookin' out fo' meh, sugah. Ah really appreciate that. But don't worry, Ah'm not exactly a tourist. Ah'm lookin' fo' someone," she informed him, her eyes inconspicuously scanning the area.

There were hardly any people inside the establishment at this hour. A blonde waitress with short curly hair sat at the other end of the bar, seemingly oblivious, although Rogue could tell she was discreetly listening to every word exchanged as she read her book. _The Princess Bride_, Rogue noticed and silently approved; it had always been a favourite of hers. At one of the tables, a man was asleep amongst a plethora of empty beer bottles. There was nobody else there, except for an attractive young man sitting alone in the furthest booth from the door. He glanced at her, and Rogue gave a coy smile. 'Well, thing are startin' to look up.'

Dan noticed where she was looking, and frowned. "Again, I don't mean to interfere, but you might want to stay away from him. He's bad news, always with different girls, and from what I hear, he's involved in some pretty shady stuff. He might be dangerous."

Rogue turned back to him, and gave a genuine smile. He might've had a slightly annoying tendency to pry, but he seemed to honestly be concerned. He was definitely a good guy. "Thanks, Dan. Now why can't all bartenders be lahke ya? Seriously though, don't worry 'bout it. Ah know him, we go way back. Now if ya don't mind, could ya pass me that bottle? Ah'm gonna go show him some good ol' Southern Comfort."

He complied, giving a good-natured groan at the pun as he passed over the alcohol and some glasses. Giving a nod of thanks, Rogue took them and sashayed away, swinging her hips seductively. She knew that men found her attractive, and she was fully prepared to use that to her advantage. Luckily, the bait was taken. The man keenly observed her, with a grin growing on his face as he realized that the vixen walking through the bar was heading straight for his table.

"Hey there, sugah," she greeted him, in her sweet Southern twang. "Mind if Ah join ya?"

"Not at all," he answered, patting the space beside him; this was definitely his lucky day. "T' what do I owe de pleasure o' such a _belle fille_? (beautiful woman)"

"Well, Ah needed a drink, an' Ah hate t' be alone. Was wonderin' if Ah could have th' company of a fine gentleman such as yo'self," she told him with a wink as she sat down, although a bit too close to him for her comfort.

"I'd be honoured," he let her know with a sly grin. Grabbing her hand and placing a sloppy kiss on the back of it, he introduced himself. "M' name's Julien. _Et vous?_ (And you?)"

Rogue forced herself to giggle when in reality she wanted to wipe the leer off his face. "Mah name's Marie," she easily lied, as she cleared a place for the bottle of alcohol on the table. He had already had a few drinks; that would make her job easier. Pouring them each a shot, she handed one to him. "So Julien, tell meh 'bout yo'self…"

Downing the liquor, Julien gave the sexy woman sitting next to him another grin. He had come to the bar to drink away his frustrations about Belle getting married to that mutant freak LeBeau, but a much better way for him to take his mind off things had presented itself. Leaning into her, he seductively whispered, "What y' wanna know?"

A large empty bottle of booze later and she was practically sitting in his lap, lazily drawing circles on his chest with a finger. The pair were fawning all over each other, and didn't notice somebody watching them from a table in the shadows. Somebody with eyes that, if one looked closely enough, seemed to almost glow behind the pair of sunglasses he wore.

Remy had left the rehearsal as soon as he could, giving Belle the excuse that he had to go enjoy his last free night as a bachelor. She had advised not to get into too much trouble; she told him that if he got into another bar fight with a jealous boyfriend and had a bruise for their wedding, she'd give him plenty more. He didn't doubt it, but he just charmed himself out of the situation, and went to track down Rogue. He ended up in this bar, watching her cozy up to the man he hated with a fiery passion.

For a split second, Remy's heart had plummeted to his stomach; the woman he wanted was all over his archrival. But that unpleasant feeling quickly passed. He wasn't jealous, he knew very well what she was doing; getting Julien drunk wouldn't be a problem. In fact, it appeared that he already was. He just hoped that Rogue could get the information out of him that they needed without any trouble. She almost certainly would; Julien tended to run off his mouth when he was inebriated. However, he also got violent, as could be seen by the bruises on women's faces after they pissed him off. There was no way that Remy was letting him hurt Rogue, which was why he was currently tormenting himself by sitting and watching him press up against her, run his fingers through her hair, and whisper sentiments in her ear. Everything that Remy wished he could be doing to her. But he wasn't jealous, not at all. 'Jus' cautious, 'cause y' be worried 'bout her,' he reasoned. 'Y' definitely not jealous. Remy LeBeau never been jealous.'

His eyes never strayed from the pair, watching and waiting for any sign that indicated he would have to step in and gladly beat Julien to a bloody pulp. He wished he could just charge Julien up like one of his playing cards and watch him explode; that would be intensely satisfying and cathartic. Remy was paying such close attention that he barely noticed the waitress come up to him until she spoke.

"You're wasting your time."

"_Pardon?_" he started, looking up into the face of a pretty blonde girl.

"You're wasting your time pining over her," she told him.

"Remy ain't pinin'," he indignantly replied.

Pulling up a chair, she plopped down across from him, and continued. "Oh, please. What is she, your girlfriend? An ex?"

"_Non_."

"Unrequited love, then? You've been watching them ever since you came in. I hate to break it to you, but they've been going at it for a while. She came in looking for him, they're old friends apparently. Real _good_ friends, if you get my drift. I'm sorry, though. You love her, don't you?"

Remy had only been half-listening, until she spoke those last few words which made him rapidly turn his attention back to her. "_Quoi?!_ (What?!)"

"You love her. Anybody can tell, with the way you're staring at her."

"T'ink y' wrong 'bout dis one, petite," he told her, although he couldn't repress the annoying voice in the back of his head that piped up and asked him, 'Y' sure 'bout dat?'

"Whatever." She easily brushed his comment away, gave an inviting smile, and said, "My advice is to get over her, and I definitely wouldn't mind helping you with that. My name's Rae."

Normally when pretty girls introduced themselves to Remy, he would give them his most seductive grin and thickly lay on the charm. This time however, he returned with an unenthusiastic "Nice t' meet y'" and went back to watching Rogue and Julien.

"Oh, come on! Get over it!"

"Leave the poor guy alone, Rae," spoke up Dan from behind Remy, who turned around to see who else had joined the conversation he desperately wished he wasn't having. Getting advice about his love life wasn't high on his list of favourite pastimes. Getting it from complete strangers made it all the more annoying.

"What? I can't cheer him up?" she pouted.

"You can see that he's hung up over that girl over there, so just let him wallow in peace."

"Wallow? Remy certainly don' _wallow_!" he firmly told them.

"Well, you are now. Don't worry, I see it a lot, guys trying to drink away memories of their loves. If you want my advice –"

"No t'anks," Remy interrupted him.

Dan just calmly continued. "- then go tell her how you feel. Anybody can see that you love her by the way you're looking at her, so let her know."

At this, Remy fell silent and just stared at the bartender. Why did everybody think that he was in love? Or more importantly, _was_ he in love?

"Hate to rush you, but you might wanna get on that soon," Rae chimed in. "Cause your girl's leaving."

Quickly turning around, Remy could see Rogue and Julien exiting the bar through the rear doors, stumbling slightly and with their arms around each other's waists. Grabbing his trench coat, he ran after them, yelling back, "T'anks _mes amis_ (my friends)," to Dan and Rae, who just stood there and watched him hurry out.

"He's got it bad," he told the waitress.

"Yeah, I know," she sighed. "Too bad, he'd be a great catch. You just had to butt in, didn't you?"

"What can I say? I'm a romantic at heart."

While the two went back to their business, Remy sprinted towards the door. He had to get out there to make sure the man didn't do anything that he would have to kill him for – Julien and women alone in dark alleyways were not a good combination. Throwing open the door, he stepped outside. Hearing a noise further down the alley, Remy silently made his way towards it.

As he turned the corner, the unpleasant feeling of his heart plummeting returned. Right in front of him stood Julien and Rogue, kissing.

* * *

Dun dun duhh! Wow, I can see a whole riotous mob of Romy fans with pitchforks and flaming sticks descending from the hills to kill me. Ahh! I'm sorry, but that had to be done. I don't like it any more than you do, believe me. Actually I lied, I really enjoyed this cliffhanger. Ooh, the tension!

Next chapter – Rogue, Remy and Julien in an alley, I wonder what will happen! And once again, get your minds out of the gutters.

So, hope you all enjoyed this chapter, complete with cameo appearances. It was pretty fun to write, I have a thing for bar scenes. Is that weird? Whatever. No clue when I'll get the next chapter up, I'll try for within a week. Just remember, review!

Kisses,

ish


	9. Alleyways

**Disclaimer:** So there I was walking along, minding my own business, when who do I find just lying on the street? The X-Men! So I picked them up, took them home, cleaned them up a bit, and now they're mine, _all_ mine! Bwa ha ha! …No? Alright, _fine_, you got me. Still not mine.

**A/N:** Well, instead of studying, I was typing up this baby. I hope you appreciate how much I sacrifice for all of you! Nah, just kidding. There's no way in hell I want to be studying. I've still got time before exams! By the way, one handy piece of knowledge that I _did_ learn is not to feed crack to bunnies. It's all good in the metaphorical sense, but woah, watch out with the real ones! Anyhoo, responses ahoy. Sorry if I missed anybody, I had to retype a lot of them cuz I had stupid disk saving problems.

Calliann, Smirnoff Ice Lover, Tokyobabe2040, PsychoRomyChica, Araya-Michiru, Ellavira, msqre, lonewolf, Gothic-Rogue LeBeau, plague, M.J, Loki Eyota, Rogue77, De-Femme-O-Da-Night, Gothic Cajun, Personage, danielle britton, roguelebeaux003, mAd RoGuE, SassyGrl024, Arin Ross/Arian Rowan/Annee, gaea, bitrona, Jstreet1216, Zen Bailong, SadYear, Kartina5, The Rogue Cajun, Rogue14, Misa1124, Midnight Selene, Star-of-Chaos – As always, you guys rock my socks. Thanks a lot!

ThatsJustPeachy, Twinky & Cuddness – Yay, new converts have entered the fold! Don't worry, you'll learn to embrace the insanity soon enough. Although I think some of you already have… stares at the abundance of Peachy's exclamation marks in wonder And I thought _I_ used them excessively!!

Lightspeed Suzuka & Duck3 – Aww, thanks for the plushies! I'll put them all on display in a little tableau, it'll be spiffy.

Dragonfire99 – You wouldn't _dare_ kidnap my crack bunny! I'd like to see you try. taunts you by waving the bunny in your face

Remy's Angy – I don't think just one bottle would get rid of his slime. Maybe a whole crate?

Speck – I'm keeping my eye on you! You're making me paranoid. looks around with shifty eyes

Rogue4787 – Mention Remy, no shirt, and whipped cream in the same sentence and you're _guaranteed_ to catch my attention! drool

fallenangel99 & frozen fire – Dan is Mercury Dream's made-up bartender from her own fics, and Rae is Goldylokz (another author). They're not actually X-Men characters (unless there's some _other_ X-Men out there…?), so maybe I should've called them 'guest appearances'. Oops.

Princess of Monkeys – Our bunny's name is 'Maraca-chewer' (cuz he chewed on maracas), pronounced 'Bunny'. Creative, eh? Don't worry, your review was fairly coherent. Ok, so I'm not _technically_ allowed to be in bars yet, but we'll just ignore that. When I was in Europe I was legal, huzzah for lower drinking ages! I think it makes the world a better place. ;-)

Panther Nesmith – Please no more mentions of Julien's anatomy! I'm kinda queasy now, it really hurt me to write that ending. Hopefully I'll make up for it soon.

Green Eyed Lilys Daughter – Remy appreciates the Oscar. Instead of a boring acceptance speech, he'll just stand there and let insane fangirls oogle him. That work for you? And yes, Belle will appear in a few chapters. It's true I despise her, but I'll do my best to not be biased when writing her. We'll see how it goes, won't we? Cuz I honestly don't know.

Mercury Dream – Glad you liked the Dan-ness! And of course I didn't feed him crack, who do you think I am? Some horribly irresponsible and cruel person? I only give it to cute, innocent bunnies. I think Dan stole it when my back was turned, he'll need to be punished! I suggest a nice spanking. ;-)

Aro – That's such a great excuse: 'Oops, I tripped and fell on his lips!' It's believable, that's what I like about it.

Goldylokz – Huzzah, glad you approved. Sadly, I've got no more room for you, it was pretty much a one-time thing. Don't hurt me!

vespie – You SO get a gold star for the Tootsie Roll Pop mention. I _love_ them, I've got a stash of them in a drawer, but I painted it, and I think the pops absorbed the paint fumes, cuz they taste kinda funny. But I eat them anyway, cuz that's sure not gonna stop me!

Ravyn Nyte – Wow, a scarf _and_ brownie points? I win! Thanks.

Krac – Yay, a krac award! All my awards have come back to me in award form! How ironic – but not really. ;-)

Seven Sunningdale – Oh, you're wistfully sighing? YES! That's totally what I was going for – little do you know that by sighing, you'll release more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, causing global warming and destroying the world, leaving me to rule over it! Bwa ha ha! Huh. Maybe I shouldn't announce my world-domination plans, eh? Damn.

heartsyhawk – Holy long review, batman! That was my most rambling yet, so feel special. Sorry 'bout the heart attack/extra laundry incident, although it gave me a good laugh. But now I'm afraid to laugh at you if you'll send all those scary creatures after me! Hmm, you'd have Remy chained to you? Fun, you're into that kinky stuff, are you? ;-)

A lot of you seem to want me dead after last chapter's evil cliffhanger of doom, so I hope this makes up for it. Enjoy!

* * *

February Fifteenth

**Chapter Nine – Alleyways**

Before Remy could even react and make a move to pummel Julien, the Assassin suddenly fell to the ground, unconscious. Turning his attention to Rogue, Remy saw her clutch her head and stumble backwards to lean against the alley wall, breathing heavily. She looked like she was in pain, which was all the motivation he needed to get moving. He was by her side in an instant, taking care to step on Julien on his way over.

"_Chère_! Y' okay? What happened? Did he hurt y'?" he asked frantically.

At the sound of his voice, Rogue looked up at him with wide eyes. A second later, recognition seemed to dawn in them. "Remy!" she gasped, looking to be on the verge of panicking. "What are ya doin' here? Ah told ya not t' follow meh!"

"Remy knows, but he was worried 'bout y'. An' looks like wit' good reason too, neh?" he told her unapologetically while taking off his sunglasses. For some unknown reason she seemed to like his eyes, maybe they would be able to calm her down.

"Ah wish ya hadn't," she sighed, looking away from him.

"_Chère_, please tell Remy what happened? Did Julien hurt y'?"

"No… Ah did it," she whispered, looking down at the ground.

"Did what?" he asked, confused. Rogue looked so different from the strong woman he had seen; she now looked like a scared little girl. In fact, she seemed almost… ashamed?

"Ah didn't want ya to know…"

"Shh, it be alright. Remy knows y' were just tryin' t' get Julien drunk so he'd talk, Remy don' blame y' fo' anyt'in'. It ain't yo' fault dat he kissed y'."

"Ah kissed him," she regretfully corrected him, deliberately looking anywhere except into his stunning eyes; she didn't want to see them marred with the disappointment and disgust that she was sure would be there with her admission.

"…_Quoi_? (What?)" he sputtered, uncomprehending. She still wouldn't look at him, so he gently placed his hand under her chin to tilt her face towards his. "Talk t' me, _chère_, please."

Briefly enjoying his warm touch, she finally met his eyes, seeing confusion and concern but also caring within their depths.

"Ah'm sorry, Remy. Ah wanted to tell ya, but Ah didn't really know how…"

"_Quoi_?" he repeated, beginning to worry. What could be so trying to tell him? His mind immediately began to make up ridiculous and abysmal scenarios – Julien having his way with her, Rogue really being an undercover Assassin, but the most appalling was her being in love with Julien. However, he attempted to disregarded them and focus all his attention back to Rogue.

"Ah'm a mutant," she blurted out.

Remy blinked. "Dat's it? Dat's nothin' t' worry 'bout, _chère_. Remy be a mutant too, he can blow stuff up. Y' saw his eyes, didn' y' guess from dem?"

"Ah know, Ah figured ya would be… but it ain't exactly th' fact that Ah'm a mutant, it's what Ah do."

"An' what's dat?" he questioned, his curiosity peaked, but still feeling strangely relieved. Her being a mutant was no problem whatsoever. Definitely nothing like the distressing situations he had been imagining. In fact, it was just one more thing that they had in common.

Slowly releasing a deep, long breath, Rogue looked away from him again. He might not care about her being a mutant, but people had told her that before. Their tolerance and nonchalance had changed into fear as soon as she elaborated on her mutation. She didn't want to explain any further, but figured a rejection now would hurt much less than one in the future.

"Ah'm a thief," she blurted out, deciding to get it over with. "But Ah steal th' life from people. If Ah touch them skin t' skin, Ah can absorb their memories an' their life force. If they're a mutant, Ah steal their powers too."

Nervously lifting her gaze back to meet Remy's, she expected to see loathing and apprehension, like she received from so many others - but it wasn't there. Instead, in its place was compassion.

"Remy sorry, _chère_," he told her, while unflinchingly grabbing her hands in his. "Dat mus' be a rough power t' deal wit'."

Now it was Rogue's turn to blink. Did he… had he… just taken her bare hands? She was rather shocked, and didn't even think to answer him.

"_Chère_? Rogue? Y' alright?" he asked, wondering why she was just continually staring at their hands.

"Yah… Y-Yah're touchin' meh," she stuttered.

"_Oui_," he slowly stated. "Dat a problem? Y' can control it, _non_?"

Tearing her eyes away from their clasped hands to look at him, Remy was surprised to see them full of hurt and pain. "It's just that… After people find out 'bout mah powers, they never touch meh, even though Ah got control. They always flinch away, they're scared o' meh. Even other mutants, Ah'm lahke a freak among freaks, a 'power stealer'… Sorry, Ah think Ah'm just in shock that yah aren't doin' th' same…" she told him, attempting a feeble smile and laugh at the end, although her eyes shone with unshed tears.

Remy decided right then and there that he would do everything in his power to keep her happy. He couldn't stand seeing her this upset, it made him feel the same - so he did his best to comfort her. "'Course Remy won'. He knows y' not gonna hurt him. B'sides, he knows what it's like t' be called a freak, he gets it almos' _chaque jour_ (every day) 'cause o' de demon eyes," he sympathetically told her, but ended up looking away himself as a multitude of hurtful memories came back to him.

"They ain't demon eyes, Remy. They're beautiful," she softly told him, as this time she placed her hand on the side of his face and gently guided it back towards her.

Those very eyes widened, as he slowly covered her hand with his. Remy was actually struck speechless for a second, but then whispered, "_Merci, chère_. Remy don' know what t' say, nobody ever tell me dat befo'."

"Well, obviously everybody yah ever met were idiots," she sincerely declared with a gentle smile.

At that he smiled as well and slowly turned his head toward her hand, still at the side of his face, placing a gentle kiss in its palm. "Same goes fo' y' too. Dey'd have t' be stupid t' not wanna touch y'," he informed her, making her blush slightly.

Then unexpectedly, Remy began to laugh. Rogue became slightly annoyed; hadn't this been a serious conversation? "What, Cajun?" she impatiently exclaimed with her hands on her hips.

"Sorry, Remy jus' be relieved 'bout all dis, dat's all."

"What?! Yah're _relieved_ that Ah suck th' life outta people?"

"No, 'bout de fact dat y' don' have a t'ing fo' Julien! Y' used yo' power on him, an' dat's why he's out, _oui_?"

"Yeah. That's how Ah do mah thievin', Ah just use mah powers an' get all th' inside information."

"Ahh," Remy realized. "Dat's how y' never leave a trace? It be almost like y' supposed t' be dere, wit' all de proper access codes an' everyt'in'. Very sneaky, _chère_."

"Thanks." Then it was Rogue's turn to suddenly burst out into laughter. "Wait, go back a bit. Yah thought Ah was attracted t' that moron?"

"Hey, can y' blame Remy? He did see y' kissin' him."

"Ugh, believe meh, it wasn't exactly a pleasant experience," she informed him while making a face. "Ah only did it so Ah could use mah powers without bein' suspicious. He'll probably think he passed out from drinkin' too much."

"Glad t' know y' didn' enjoy it," he grinned. "After all, what femme be crazy 'nough t' go fo' him? He be arrogant an' cocky, t'inkin' he's God's gift t' women."

"Well, now that ya mention it, he does kinda remind meh of someone…" she teased.

"_Chère_, why y' gotta keep woundin' Remy so?" he pouted.

"But it's just so easy!"

"Oh, so y' t'ink hurtin' dis poor Cajun's feelin's is fun, den?" he kept complaining, yet all in good humour. His worry had dwindled away, and so had Rogue's insecure lapse. The feisty woman was back in front of him and Julien was knocked out on the ground - things were going quite well at the moment.

"Aww, sorry sugah," she purred. "Yah want me t' kiss it bettah?"

"Would y'?" Remy asked, moving in closer and fixing her with an intense look.

Rogue's eyes grew wider as finally realized what she had said, but didn't care. She had to be honest with herself - she wanted this. They _both_ wanted this, despite the complications that might arise. Throwing caution to the wind, the pair began to move towards each other; their lips were about to make contact and…

Suddenly a low groan came from near their feet. Both Southerners jumped, and remembered that Julien was lying there.

"Damn, Remy. We better get outta here, he won't be out fo' much longah," Rogue said, trying to hide her frustration at yet another missed kiss.

"Y' right. As much as Remy wan' t' see de look on his face when Julien wakes up, it won' be good if we dere when dat happens." With that, he grabbed her hand and they left the alleyway.

While walking through the city and keeping to the shadows, Remy finally remembered the whole purpose of their excursion. "So, _chère_, what information y' get from Julien anyway?"

She chuckled. "Well, he really hates ya, Remy."

"Ain't no surprise dere," he dryly commented. "Y' got all dat abusive commentary 'bout Remy floatin' 'round in yo' head now?"

"Yeah, but Ah can lock them away," she explained. "Don't worry, Ah've got some good thoughts 'bout ya too."

"Not from Julien!" Remy started.

"Nah, from a cousin o' yours."

He suddenly stopped walking as the pieces clicked together in his head. "Lapin! Y' absorbed him last night, dat why dey found him unconscious?"

"Yeah. Ah'm sorry 'bout that," she replied, hoping he wouldn't be mad at her. "Ah wanted to get some background on th' Guild an' what y'all wanted meh t' do, so I came up behind him on his patrol an' used mah power. Then Ah used his knowledge t' get into th' headquarters."

Remy just laughed, harder than he could remember doing in a long while. "Don' worry, y' can knock out Lapin as much as y' want - it's much mo' peaceful 'round de Guild dat way. Can' wait t' tease him 'bout dis, he's always braggin' 'bout how stealt'y he is, an' dat nobody can sneak up on 'im - always knew dat was bullshit."

"Ah woudn't tease him if Ah were yah," she scolded. "He's got some interestin' stories 'bout yah! Somethin' 'bout th' 'Gumbo Incident'?"

Remy paled. "He wouldn'."

"Oh, he would."

"Can y' look int' his _mémoires_ (memories) an' find Remy some good blackmail?"

"Maybe latah. Ah think Julien's take priority."

"_Merde_, dat's right. We should go see _mon père_ (my father) an' give him de bad news _maintenant_ (now). He'll be waitin' fo' y'."

"Just give meh a sec," Rogue told him, as she leaned against a brick wall and closed her eyes. "Ah wanna check an' see if there really is somethin' goin' on." She then appeared to be focusing very hard on something, so Remy remained silent and watched her, admiring the adorable wrinkles of concentration that appeared on her forehead. As he gently tucked a white strand of hair securely behind her ear, her eyes shot open.

"_Chère_? What's wrong? What did y' see?"

She just stared at him with fearful eyes. "They're gonna kill ya, Remy."

* * *

Dun dun duhh! A quasi-cliffhanger, although I don't think it was as fun as my last one. I must say, I'm now obsessed, they're so fun to write! How do all of you feel about them? Let me guess, you all want my head impaled on a stick as a warning to other authors, right? Well, glad I could be of some use.

Next chapter – our favourite pair go to inform Jean-Luc of the new information, so he can call off the wedding.

Okay, time for bad news. I've got exams this week and next, so I really _should_ start buckling down and studying. Meaning I'll "cram" (and believe me, I use the term loosely) for a few hours, tell myself I deserve a break and go read some fanfics. But I doubt I'll be able to write much more, as I'll be curling up in the fetal position and pulling out my hair at the sheer amount of knowledge I have to learn. So, I hate to break it to you, but I won't be updating until after my exams are over. a collective gasp is heard Yeah, I know. It's a necessary evil. But I promise that as soon as my last one is done, I will post the next chapter. So I'll see you in _about_ a week and a half! Give or take.

Kisses,

ish


	10. Decisions Made

**Disclaimer:** Geez, haven't you people gotten it yet? I don't own the X-Men! And you're making me repeat it over and over, rubbing it in my face! sob!

**A/N: **Gather 'round children, and I'll tell ye a tale! I know I promised I wouldn't update until after exams, but I'm officially fed up with studying. My exams are tomorrow, I've learned all I can, so I figure there's no point in further torturing myself. Instead, I decided to be nice and post this! But just to let you know, if my marks suffer, I'll blame you. ;-)

Krac, Calliann, Remy's Angy, foofighta, Melfina Lupin, p, Taineyah, Lightspeed Suzuka, ThatsJustPeachy, Personage, Anime addicted, The Untouchable Rogue, Ellavira, Cyberlink42, Avaris, RoguesHeart, Rogue14, Cloud Of Blood, alex, Gothic- Rogue LeBeau, SassyGrl024, nessie6, Araya-Michiru, Anee/Arain Rowan/Arin Ross, roguewannabe29, danielle britton, bitrona, De-Femme-O-Da-Night, The Rogue Cajun, lonewolf, SadYear, Midnight Selene, Tokyobabe2040, & Rogue77 – Gold stars for _everyone_! Huzzah.

Rogue4787, Ravyn Nyte, & Star-of-Chaos – Bwa ha ha! Yeah, I _bet_ you'd like to know what the 'Gumbo Incident' was! Hate to break it to you, but I'm not going to explain. I just it threw in for a quirk. You'll have to use your imaginations, but I'm sure that won't be a problem – Rogue4787 can lend us some whipped cream… drool!

Duck3 – The ECA sounds good, but we've gotta have a secret handshake and a tree house fort! Maybe even a song and dance routine…

AnalisDestiny – Ooh, Me/Remy fics? I _wish_! Oh wait, did you mean _you_/Remy fics? No, that really doesn't work for me. ;-) Anyhoo, if you want good Romy fics, check out my fave stories under my author profile. It's a goldmine of fluff and goodness!

Aro – I feel your pain about catching up on fics. I had the same problems after I came back from a few weeks vacation. The horror, the horror! Except in that good way, cuz all my fave fics updated. But it sucked cuz I missed it. I'm really not sure what I'm trying to say here…

Princess of Monkeys – Oh, a wee bit frustrated at the 'almost-kisses', are we? Well, at least I haven't got Rogue in a coma, which I hope you'll be remedying soon! gives you a pointed look So just be thankful, missy. ;-)

Green Eyed Lilys Daughter – My advice is to throw your chem book out the window and see how long it takes to hit the ground. Oh wait, that's physics… whatever, they're both evil. I understand the heavy textbook pain, what with my bio text, which is actually being held together by a few threads. Wow, even more awards for Remy? Did he bribe all the judges?

XxFleurdelySxX – Ahh, I was wondering when you'd show up! Your reviews made me smile, thanks! Glad I could finally make _you_ squeal. Hey, you caught the little reference to Medieval Times! Yup, that was just for you, feel the love! It IS weird getting a review from you, when usually it's the other way around. I hope your jealousy at all my reviews forces you to update more often! Let's make a deal – you bring on the updates, and I'll bring on the fluff. And I've decided I can't part with the 'Queen of fluff' title, we've bonded and I'm much too attached. Maybe we can work out some sort of custody arrangement?

khay – Wow, I never thought about my schitzophrenicness before. That definitely amused us. (Hah hah, I'm so lame…)

Zen Bailong – Your reactions made me laugh out loud. Unscrupulous and vomiting? Glad I brought out the best in you. ;-)

Goldylokz – You just may get your Rogue/Belle showdown. In one way or another. Ahh, I don't know, I don't have it figured out yet! But oh, it'll be fun! Mark my words. Mark them good!

Panther Nesmith – Tee hee hee! Your Trix comment made me giggle. And don't you worry, there'll be _plenty_ of romantic angst coming up! In theory.

Huh, I use a lot of those winking smiley faces. Whatever, the point is here's your chapter!

* * *

February Fifteenth

**Chapter Ten – Decisions Made**

"Y'all were right, Julien's plannin' to kill Remy to get th' Assassins int' power. They've got a mercenary hired, and he's already in th' city," Rogue explained to Jean-Luc. Her and Remy had quickly made their way back to Guild headquarters after Rogue sifted through Julien's memories and found what they needed to know. Unfortunately, it was nothing good.

Rogue tensely stood in front of the Guild Master's desk, quite on edge after have discovered the plot. Jean-Luc sat in his chair with clasped hands propping up his chin, reflecting on what she told him. Remy stood still behind Rogue, hiding his nervousness quite adeptly; his anxiety was not about the situation currently being discussed, however. He didn't have any worries about Julien trying to kill him - he was always able to get out of tough spots. He was more worried about the wedding, the same wedding that would be occurring the very next day. This was what he spent all these years hoping for, a reason to cancel it. All he had to do was wait for his father to say the words, and he would be free.

"How's he plannin' on doin' so?" Jean-Luc continued to question, failing to notice that he was making Remy all the more impatient.

"The mercenary has t' strike after the weddin', most likely at th' reception, but it's not strictly planned out. Whenever a good opportunity arises, Ah suppose. He's supposed t' kill Remy, but try an' make it look lahke an accident," Rogue informed.

"Hmm, dat makes sense," he mused, almost to himself. "Dat way all de Assassins be accounted fo', an' won' be suspected. He'd have t' be careful or de elders would find out 'bout his disloyalty t' de Guilds an' he'd be punished…"

Rogue knew this, but said nothing. She thought it best if she kept quiet about her detailed and intimate knowledge of the Guild, provided by one of their own; the less she was interrogated, the better. A multitude of people knowing about her powers was not something she wanted.

"Do y' know de identity o' de mercenary?"

Wincing slightly, she regretfully had to answer in the negative.

"Y' found out 'bout de whole plot 'cept de most important detail?" asked Jean-Luc, raising his voice in irritation.

"No," stated Rogue through clenched teeth. Once again, she found herself trying hard to contain her anger at a Guild member - only this time he was the Master. She would have to show respect if he was to listen to her. "Ah got mah information from Julien, an' he didn't plan this all by his lonesome. His accomplice hired th' killer an'-"

"Please, _chère_, let's not call him th' killer, neh?" interrupted Remy with a smirk. "He hasn' killed Remy yet."

Rogue turned around to respond to him, wishing she could borrow some of his confidence. Julien's memories unnerved her, mainly because he was so very certain about his surefire plan. "Ah'm sure he's still a killer, Remy. Ah sincerely doubt th' Assassins would hire a first-timer fo' such an important job."

"Glad t' know dat Remy's death warrants such high standards," he quipped, yet failed to get the desired reaction out of Rogue. He wanted to see her striking smile again, and maybe hear her melodious laugh; instead he received the opposite, a worried frown.

"Can we get back t' de matter at hand?" interceded Jean-Luc.

Remy just grinned flippantly, but Rogue at least had the decency to look sorry for getting off topic. "Right," she said. "His accomplice hired th' killer, so Julien didn't know who it was yet, an' neither do Ah."

"Do y' know who de accomplice is?"

She flinched a bit at the question. He definitely wouldn't like this news… "Marius Boudreaux."

The Guild-Master's reaction to the mention of his Assassin counterpart was much like what Rogue had anticipated. Jumping out of his chair, he forcefully slammed his hands down on the desk. "_Quoi?!_" he furiously yelled, eyes narrowing and face growing red with rage. "_C'est impossible!_ (That's impossible!)"

Rogue and Remy both stood silently while Jean-Luc began to quickly pace back and forth, ranting and raving to himself.

"Dat _salaud_! (bastard) How can he do dis? He's been pushin' dis weddin' along wit' me, sayin' it be fo' de good o' de Guilds! _Fils de putain!_ (Son of a bitch!) Hah, if he t'inks dat he can pull one o'er on de T'ieves, he be sorely mistaken!"

Suddenly he stopped, forcefully gripping the corners of his desk as he leaned over it, head bowed and shoulders squared. Steam could practically be seen blowing out of his ears. He remained still, contemplating his next move. After a few minutes, Remy and Rogue looked to each other with raised eyebrows.

"Papa? What's de plan?" Remy tentatively asked. Now was the time, and the anticipation was building up in his system.

He smiled at his son as he straightened up. "Don' worry, Remy. I know what we have t' do, even if some disagree wit' me."

This was it. The moment of truth.

Sighing, Jean-Luc sat himself down and crossed his arms. "De weddin' will continue as planned."

"What?!" shouted Rogue in bewilderment. Remy just stood there, not sure if he had heard correctly.

"I'm not cancellin' it. I can't. Dere's too much at stake."

"How 'bout th' safety of yo' son?" yelled an outraged Rogue. Respect be damned, she wasn't about to calmly accept this resolution. How stupid could this man be? There was a scheme to kill Remy being implemented, and he was going to play right into the Assassins' hands!

"Don' make de mistake o' t'inkin' dat I don' care 'bout my son," he cautioned her. "'M not goin' t' let anyt'in' happen t' him."

"Den why y' makin' Remy go through wit' de weddin'?" demanded a furious Remy. The shock had worn off, and was now replaced by anger. He couldn't believe it - finally the perfect opportunity to get out of this mess, and it was going to waste!

"We don' have much o' a choice, Remy. De Guilds need dis peace pact."

"But at yo' son's expense?" Rogue cried disbelievingly.

"Nothin' will happen t' him! We get dem married, an' den he can be easily protected. We secure de reception hall, have him accompanied at all times, an' nobody be able t' get through t' him. We be t'ieves, we can protect our own. An' dere ain't nobody better den Remy."

Neither teen could believe what they were hearing. Remy was stunned, consumed by disappointment, failure, and taunting mental images of him spending the rest of his life trapped in a loveless marriage. He had to try and change the decision – hell, at this point he would even get down on his knees and beg. A small part of him knew it would be futile - once his father made up his mind, there was usually no changing it. But he had to try. Apparently Rogue had the same idea, and her ire wouldn't be quieted.

"Ah _cannot_ believe ya! Yah're sacrificing yo' son all 'cause o' some stupid rivalry that could just as easily be settled by some damn negotiations, not a marriage! Th' peace will only happen if y'all _want_ it to, it don't _matter_ if there's a marriage o' not! An' it's a marriage ya _know_ Remy wants no part of! Yah're punishin' him fo' no reason! It's _your_ duty t' secure peace b'tween th' Guilds, an' now yah're just passin' th' burden off t' him? This is _yo'_ responsibility, not his, an' ya failed at it - do ya have t' condemn Remy fo' th' mistakes _ya_ made?" she ranted, Southern accent growing all the more pronounced as she got worked up.

Once again Jean-Luc stood from his seat, with clenched fists and eyes blazing with fury. "Listen, _fille_. 'M not exactly sure who y' are, but I know who yo' _not_. Y' don' have any power t' tell me what's right an' wrong, what t' do, or how t' lead m' Guild. Y' don' know anyt'in' 'bout us, so don' act like it. 'M doin' what needs t' be done fo' de good o' all o' de members o' both Guilds. Dat's hundreds o' lives in m' hands, an' dis decision'll protect dem all. Now y' did what we asked o' y', so de job is done. We don' have any need fo' y' anymo'."

Rogue narrowed her eyes, which were blazing with indignation at the curt dismissal. A rebuttal was on the tip of her tongue when she felt a restraining hand on her shoulder. Turning, she saw Remy cautioning her not to say any more.

"Easy, _chère_. Y' did what y' could, so _merci_. Remy be grateful. But he'll have t' take it from here," he whispered in her ear.

She wanted nothing more than to stay and give Jean-Luc another piece of her mind, and maybe a piece of her fist as well. She wanted to help Remy, but Rogue understood it wasn't her fight anymore. Grudgingly, she nodded. "Ah'm sorry," she told him regretfully. Rogue turned back to send one last glare at the Guild Master, then departed. Remy watched her leave and then faced his father.

"I don' wan' t' get married t' Belle," he told him with the utmost seriousness. He abandoned his masks of cockiness and attitude - this was not the place for them. The rest of his life could very well be decided in this conversation; it was a grave situation, with no time for games. Remy only hoped that his wishes and future happiness would mean more to his father than Guild politics.

"I know, Remy. Believe me, m' not happy 'bout puttin' y' in dis position, but it has t' be done. We need peace or dere just be more killin' b'tween us, y' know dat!"

"A marriage pact been tried befo', an' it didn' work! Don' t'ink Remy didn' look in de history books, a weddin' was tried an' it failed. Y' de one who told Remy dat 'dose who don' learn from history be doomed t' repeat it'!"

Jean-Luc sighed once again. "I did learn from de past, dat's why we'll do it right dis time. Dat was hundreds o' years ago, an' it wasn' under de same circumstances. Now we got de son an' daughter o' the Guild Masters, it be mo' bindin' dis way. B'sides, y're in love - it be like Romeo an' Juliet."

"Y' _know_ Remy don' love Belle!"

"_Je sais_ (I know), but de important t'ing be dat de others do. 'Specially Belle herself."

Remy's eyes widened. "Y' want Remy to play pretend fo' de rest o' his days? Don' know if I can do dat!"

"Y' goin' t' have t'," his father quietly told him. "I know y' don' wan' t' do dis, I tried t' get y' out o' de arrangement, I really did. Y' t'ink I wan' y' dis miserable? But dere's not much I can do wit' de elders o' both Guilds pullin' fo' dis."

"Try _harder_."

"It be too late now."

At that, Remy turned his head away in disappointment. He didn't know if he could look at his 'father' right now.

"_Je suis desolé, mon fils_ (I'm sorry, my son), but we all have t' make sacrifices. Least yours be fo' a noble cause, neh? Y' gonna be selfish an' t'row dis opportunity away? Y' got de future o' de Guilds in yo' hands, Remy."

"So do y'. Y're givin' de Assassins de chance t' gain rule o'er de T'ieves!"

"Dat won' happen. You'll be protected, so we can stop de mercenary. Den we can prove dat Marius an' Julien are traitors, get dem expelled from de Guilds, an' everyt'in' works out."

"Nice t' see dat y're so optimistic 'bout makin' Remy's life a livin' hell," he scowled.

"Must y' be so stubborn? Dis needs t' be done - de needs o' de many outweigh de needs o' de few, so dis conversation is over. Go get some rest, tomorrow be de big day."

All Remy could do was glower, a sight made all the more intimidating by his demonic eyes. "Romeo an' Juliet didn' have de happiest endin'," he warned, and then spun around to leave. Just as he laid his hand on the doorknob, Jean-Luc called out to him.

"Oh, Remy? I saw de way y' stared at dat girl, de Rogue. Forget 'bout her. Fo' yo' own good."

Seething, Remy took a deep breath and slowly exhaled in a feeble attempt to contain his fury. Then he barged out the door, slamming it as hard as he could behind him. The crash resounded down the hallway, only to be followed by a much louder sound as the glowing pink doorknob exploded soon after.

Jean-Luc was left alone in his office, gazing at the remains of what was previously his door. Once again, he gave a long, gusty sigh; he had done that all too often tonight. Despite what Remy believed, he truly didn't want to do this. Yet he didn't have much of a choice, with pressure being put on him from both sides. At least this way he could use the situation more to their advantage, and crucify Marius and Julien - meaning the Thieves had their own plans to set in motion. Rising from his desk to go find Henri, he stopped and stared at the wooden splinters at his feet. He just hoped his son didn't do anything foolish.

* * *

Poor Remy! Hah, I bet you all thought the wedding would be called off, didn't you? Nope, that'd be a bit too easy. I felt kinda bad writing Jean-Luc this way, I've always liked him. So I tried to make him in a bind too – he isn't making Remy's life horrible for no reason, he can't get out of it either!

Next chapter – how's Remy going to react to the bad news? And looks like there'll be a 90 chance of Romyness! Yay.

As always, I'd appreciate reviews! So click on that friendly button down there, and tell me how I'm doing! A new post should be up in a few days.

Kisses,

ish


	11. Opportunities

**Disclaimer:** Think maybe if I go up to Marvel and ask _really_ nicely (and throw in a pout for good measure) they'll give me the X-Men?

**A/N:** You know, I really must clarify something – last chapter, I only said there was a 90 _chance_ of Romyness. Did I specifically _promise_ any? What if this is the other 10? waits as all the readers pick up various pointy implements and advance threateningly Nahh, just kidding. The Romyness is finally here! Well, not _here_ here, but down there. After the responses and some angst to start us off. You'll get to it eventually!

Star-of-Chaos, Taineyah, Risty, Arain Rowan, lonewolf, Gothic- Rogue LeBeau, Cuddness, The Rogue Cajun, Rogue14, Tokyobabe2040, Le-diable-blanc, alex, Riannin, bitrona, Cloud Of Blood, Calliann, De-Femme-O-Da-Night, ladychopsticks, Katrina5, Midnight Selene, roguewannabe29, RoguesHeart, Lightspeed Suzuka, Personage, Jukebox, Peace215, Duck3, Rogue77, & SassyGrl024 – Ahh, my faithful Ishandahalfarianites. Thanks as always, you all make my day!

Speck – I'm glad you're expecting some angst, cuz that's what's gonna start us off today. I'm _quite_ surprised at myself, mainly cuz I actually had willpower to stick to a plot and not just write page after page of fluffy, sappy, pointless Romy… damn! Stupid willpower.

Green Eyed Lilys Daughter – Johnny Depp indeed! Words cannot describe how amazingly sexy he is, which is good, since I'm letting my drool speak for me. Glad I could help with the undoing of your chemistry text – whatever I can do to impede the educatory (is that even a word? Well, my spellcheck says it is. Huh, I learn something new every day!) process is my pleasure.

roguelebeaux003 – I concur with your scoffing at men. I can't speak for everybody, but I'm fairly certain I'm a woman (and single, at that), so bashing the opposite sex is okay with me! Oh, when you actually see the characters coming out from the screen, that's when it's time to get help. ;-)

Caliente – Wow, stadium rock? I'm impressed with myself. I thought I was just garage rock, or _maybe_ dingy bar rock. Yay for me!

Remy's Angy – You have no idea how funny your frustration was to me! Gee, maybe know you know how I felt through most of 'CommitmentPhobia', and parts of 'Somewhere I Belong' and 'A Different Way…'! So enjoy tasting your own 'almost Romy but not quite' medicine, bwa ha ha! sticks tongue out at you

heartsyhawk – Well, your brilliant flattery worked. I don't know if pleasant is the right word for all of this chapter, what with all the angst hanging overhead, but it definitely gets good with the Romyness. That's gotta count for something, right? And don't worry, no suicide. I couldn't bear to write that! Or would I? Nope. That would end in tears.

Goldylokz – Oldschool Batman reference? You're _officially_ my _hero_. Not that you weren't already (what with my spiffy cameos), but now even more so.

Aro – Splendid? I like it, it sounds so classy and sophisticated! Everything we're not. ;-)

Panther Nesmith – I think you were the only one who actually didn't want Jean-Luc horribly maimed and killed. Romy boots and umbrella? Umm, okay… nice to see you're prepared. And I agree, the poor, innocent house just takes so much abuse - one day it'll just have enough, get up and leave!

XxFleurdelySxX – Are you trying to guilt-trip me with all that sad and depressing stuff? Well, maybe it worked…

vespie – You guessed my secret plan – shh! Special brownies? Ooh, I sure wouldn't mind some of those! Of course, I mean 'special' as in 'unique', nothing to do with drugs at all, no siree… looks around guiltily And props to Machiavellians indeed – when I read your review, I just got back from writing my philosophy exam, with a whole bit section on Machiavelli. Coincidence? I think not!

Krac – Black star for evil? Hey, that got me thinking – I should have a colour-coded system of stars: blue for depression, pink for cuteness, red for angst… What FUN! Thanks for the inspiration.

Krys Xanthina - gasp! Are you insinuating that my crack bunnies are evil? Uh oh, they don't like that! Run for your life, while you still can! As you know, they're pretty damn quick. Bwa ha ha!

You know, when I originally planned out this fic, this chapter didn't exist. But since you were all demanding Romyness, I was a little afraid to make you wait even more. So, like the spineless wonder I am, I caved. Hope you all appreciate this! Hell, who am I kidding, I've been wanting to write fluff since the beginning. So onward, yonder!

* * *

February Fifteenth

**Chapter Eleven – Opportunities**

"_Maudit, fils de putain, merde, zut!_" (Goddamn, son of a bitch, shit, damn!) raged Remy as he paced around his room, futilely attempting to find some method of purging his anger. Swearing was the only kind of catharsis he could come up with on such short notice that didn't require blowing up more furniture. "_Baise-moi!_ _A-t-il perdu la tête? C'est des conneries!_" (Fuck me! Is he out of his mind? This is bullshit!)

This was unbelievable. A reason for ending the wedding was presented to Jean-Luc on a silver platter, and he didn't take it. Remy dropped himself onto his bed, burying his face in his hands exasperatedly. Once again, his hope had dwindled away and left him with nothing. He stayed that way until he heard the distant echoes of a clock chiming midnight somewhere in the mansion – it was now officially February fourteenth. Valentine's Day. The last day of the rest of his life.

Could he really go through with this? It was clear to him that he didn't _want_ to. Remy had tried to love Belle, but it just wouldn't happen. Upon the announcement that he would marry her, he had tried to convince himself that he wanted it, that they were in love. He could lie flawlessly to others, but not to himself. They were friends, yes. But he would never see her as anything more than that. Remy had come to the conclusion that love couldn't be forced; the city's mysticism had borne in him the concept of soul mates, that there was one person out there for everybody. It was crystal clear to him that Belladonna was not that person.

Unfortunately, that fact seemed inconsequential to the Guild. He despised his obligations and responsibilities. Remy had nothing but adoration for his family; they brought him in off the street and provided a wonderful life for him. The desire to repay them was always there, but it faded with the realization that the cost would be his happiness.

When he had been younger, that price seemed less steep. He was eager to please his father, and bringing peace to the Guilds seemed like a dream come true. That had all changed the night in the museum. Rogue had changed it all.

Remy wondered if he would be more receptive to the pact if he hadn't met her. Something inside of him said that he would; she was the one that shifted the tides, and brought about his epiphany. It all began to make sense for him now; upon seeing her, everything was different. Just seconds of staring into her eyes made him realize that there was something more out there for him - it called out to him. There was something he craved.

If fate hadn't thrown them together that night, Remy would never have become conscious of the emptiness inside of him. She had set him free. But was that the extent of it? Was all he wanted was his freedom?

_'Non_,' he thought as he shook his head. It was more than that. He could leave right now and never come back, and be free from everything – but was that what he wanted? He had always assumed that his sense of duty towards his family were what kept him in New Orleans. Now there was a new complication, in the delectable form of a green-eyed thief. There was something between them, a connection from the instant they met. It went deep, breeding understanding and compassion, and Remy wanted to know what it meant.

Sitting on his bed, he tried to rationalize the spark they ignited. It was greater than that now – now it seemed as if there was a full-fledged flame, consuming his very existence whenever a thought of her passed through his mind. He had to give a wry smile; this rogue had suddenly appeared, and was now causing him to question everything about himself. There was nothing but chaos in his life, and yet he was focused on her. He wondered if she knew the power she had over him.

There was simply something about her. Rogue was the most beautiful woman he had seen in his life, both inside and out. He couldn't describe the feelings he harboured; yes, there was lust and desire, but that wasn't the extent of it. And that confused him. There was a yearning for her, an aching from deep inside. From his heart, maybe? Or his soul?

With that, Remy's head jerked up. Was she the one? His soul mate? Did he love her? Complete strangers seemed to think so – why was it so obvious to others and not to him? Love seemed to be an ethereal and intangible feeling, beyond words and description. He didn't know exactly what it was, but he knew well enough what it _wasn't_. There was obviously nothing of the sort with Belle. But now there were these feelings with Rogue. Feelings of completion and fulfillment and happiness. Were they love?

It was impossible. Could he have fallen in love with somebody after only truly knowing them for a day? It didn't seem practical. Or logical. Or rational. But then again, love wasn't any of those things, was it?

Remy's contemplations were brought to a halt when he heard the door shut. Looking over, he saw Henri had entered his room.

"Papa told me what happened," he began.

"_Ça ne te regarde pas_ (This is none of your business)," Remy answered.

"_Oui_, it is. Dere's a plan t' kill y', dat's de business o' de whole Guild."

"Oh, suddenly de Guild is worried 'bout Remy's best interests?" came the sarcastic reply.

Henri ignored the cynicism and continued. "We've got maximum security t'night on de mansion, an' patrols in de city. Maybe we get lucky an' find de _salaud_ (bastard), but I doubt it. Dere's also plans bein' set fo' tomorrow, 'bout yo' protection." With a twinkle in his eyes, he then joked, "Never t'ought I'd see de day when y' needed bodyguards, Remy."

"_Tu es une vraie plaie_ (You're a pain in the ass)."

"Y' are too."

"Least Remy got a good reason."

That elicited a sigh from Henri. "_Oui_, 'bout dat…"

"_Non_, _ne me fais pas avaler ça aussi!_ (No, don't give me this shit too!)" complained Remy, getting up and marching to the window, purposely facing away from his brother. He instead focused on the rain that had begun to fall.

"Look, Remy, I'm not de biggest fan o' dis idea. But maybe it just has t' be done, henh? T'ink o' all de good it'll do."

"_Je n'y crois pas à ces conneries_ (I'm not buying that bullshit). Did Papa put y' up t' dis?"

"He told me t' talk t' you, _oui_. Said t' try an' convince y' t' not be _un couillon_ (a fool)."

Remy just laughed bitterly. "Dat's easy fo' y' _deux_ (two) t' say! Y' weren' forced t' marry, were y'? Y' got t' find a _femme_ (woman/wife) y' loved, an' now Remy don' get de same chance?"

The silence told Remy that Henri felt bad, which made him feel slightly better. But only slightly. As he went to leave, Henri turned with some final wisdom to impart. "I'm sorry, Remy. _Vraiment_ (Truly). Y' know I'm on yo' side wit' dis, I wan' y' t' be happy. But y' need t' t'ink 'bout what an opportunity dis is! Dis could change everyt'in'. So don' let such a good chance go t' waste."

Left alone except for the patter of raindrops, Remy let the words resonate through his mind. For once, he agreed with Henri on something. He had a chance, and he wouldn't let it go to waste. After his missed opportunity in the museum six years ago, he had told himself that he would never let that happen again. His course of action decided, he stealthily exited his room and made his way off the grounds.

Meanwhile in Rogue's hotel suite, she was contemplating much the same as her fellow thief. She was looking out the window at the rain falling, yet not really seeing it. Her thoughts were focused on Remy. She couldn't stop thinking about him, no matter how hard she tried. Was he aware of the power he had over her? She felt useless and disappointed, unable to help him out of the bind he was in when she wanted nothing more than to do so. But was that the real reason? Or was it because the man she had feelings for was now duty-bound to marry another?

Sighing, Rogue let her head rest against the cool glass. She was aware that there was a connection between them – all of her denial and attempts at burying her emotions couldn't refute that. But she was unsure about the true nature of it. What did it mean? She knew that he made her smile, that he made her worries and her past disappear. She also knew there was something inside of her that yearned for him.

Even though she kept people at arm's length because of her mutation, Rogue had always dreamed of love. A soul mate, one person to spend the rest of her life with. She knew it was odd, especially given her dark and distrustful nature, but she truly believed that there was somebody out there for everyone. Was Remy the one meant for her?

Ever since their first meeting, she knew there was something about him, although she couldn't quite pinpoint what that was. After getting to know him, that feeling had only grown stronger. Unfortunately, there were obstacles as well. Would he have gone through with marrying Belladonna if she hadn't shown up in New Orleans? Was she just a convenience, an escape method?

'No,' she thought as she shook her head. It was more than that. She had been used before - Rogue could tell when people were playing her. He wasn't. Remy could leave right now, if he wanted to; he could easily slip away and be free. He had stayed to try and help his family, and she admired him for that. She understood it too. But would he continue to stay? Would he marry Belle anyway?

Thankfully, a knock on the door stopped her from venturing into even more pessimistic territory. Heading over to open it, Rogue was shocked to find a sopping wet Cajun standing in the hallway. Before she could even ask what he was doing there, Remy pulled her into a kiss.

For a second she was too surprised to even react, but then Rogue was finally able to get a grasp on what was happening. The question that had arisen in her brain was pushed back, and she let herself become overwhelmed by her emotions. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Rogue closed her eyes and began to reciprocate Remy's kiss with all her might. This is what she had dreamt of ever since that night in the museum, when she stared into his amazing eyes for what seemed like an eternity. Her mutation had manifested soon afterwards, so she had been unable to kiss anybody at all, let alone touch them. That had made her all the more bitter about her missed chance. But now the opportunity had returned, and she wasn't about to let it go to waste.

It was pure bliss kissing him. Rogue didn't even notice that his rain-soaked clothes drenched her as he pulled her closer to him; all she could concentrate on was the warmth emanating from his body, the safety she felt while in his arms, and the soft caresses of his lips on hers.

Remy felt much of the same - it was heaven kissing her. All he could focus on was the warmth her body gave to his, how right she felt in his arms, and how soft her lips felt against his own. He had dreamt about this ever since that night in the museum, when he stared into those jewels she called eyes for what seemed like forever. Such sentimental gestures hadn't directly preceded this spontaneous kiss, but that was hardly important at the moment - the pair's combined passion made it perfect.

Any semblance of logic and reasoning had left them – they didn't think about the consequences, and how they might be tempting themselves with what might never be possible. All that remained were the sensations created by crushing lips and battling tongues, and that was all that mattered.

After a few minutes, the duo regretfully parted for a breath of much-needed air, yet didn't dare move apart from each other. Eyes still closed, Remy lightly pressed his forehead to Rogue's and whispered, "_Merde_. Sorry, _chère_, prob'ly shouldn' 'ave done dat…" as thoughts of the wedding and the true weight of their situation came crashing down onto both of them.

Sighing, she quietly replied, "Yeah."

"It's just dat… Who are y', Rogue? How can y' make m' feel like dis? D'y' feel it too?" he questioned, almost desperately, as he opened his eyes to look at her.

"Ah was about t' ask ya th' same question, Remy," she told him as she placed a hand on his cheek, feeling the prickly stubble covering his face. It made him even more ruggedly handsome, in her opinion. "Ah feel it. Ah don't know how, or why, but Ah do."

She couldn't help but smile as Remy's apprehensive expression turned into a content grin. Then suddenly that morphed into a slightly apologetic one.

"Would've liked t' work up t' dis wit' a romantic date, maybe dinner by candlelight, but dere wasn't really any time..." he told her.

Rogue softly laughed as she looked up at him. "Ah'm not complainin'."

"Didn' mean t' be so sudden, but… I needed t' see y'."

"Ah'm glad."

Their eyes found each other's lips again as Remy softly and very disappointedly said, "We really shouldn' do dis…"

"Ah know…" came the response, and both of their minds were instantly made up. Both understood the matter at hand and the implications it would have, but suddenly none of it mattered. The man that was tormented by his future and the woman that was haunted by her past forgot about everything other than the present, and the person they held in their arms. The emotional floodgates were opened, and their feelings for each other poured over them as they dove back into another kiss.

It was as if nothing else in the world existed. Rogue leapt up, wrapping her legs around Remy's waist as his arms moved under her thighs to support her. In one swift motion Remy stepped inside of the room, turned and kicked the door shut, and then propped Rogue up against it. His mouth moved away from hers and downward, trailing along her jaw line. She moaned in pleasure as he nibbled the crook of her neck, and ran her hands through his hair. She shivered, first from the sensations he was inciting in her, but then from a cool draft that blew over her damp apparel.

"Hey, Remy…" she breathed.

"_Oui_, _chère?_" he asked, never straying from his task.

"Yah're wet."

"_Oui_, _chère_," he told her unabashedly as he lifted his head back to her eye level.

Rolling her eyes, Rogue actually let out a slight giggle. "Ah meant your _clothes_, swamp rat. From th' _rain_."

"'Course. What else would y' mean?" he teased her. Then seeing that her clothing was soaked as well, he grinned. "Looks like Remy got y' wet too."

Her only response to that was a decidedly wanton smirk and mischievous twinkle in her eyes. That only made Remy grin all the wider as he said, "We'll have t' see what we can do 'bout dat…"

Very soon their clothes were not a problem, as they lay discarded in a path towards the bedroom. Remy took in the vision standing before him in all of her glory. "_Mon Dieu_, _chère_, y're de most beautiful t'ing I've ever laid eyes on," he told her in all honesty. "An' even mo' beautiful when y' blush," he added, as she did just that. "Y' must get dat all de time, but I swear it's de truth."

"Ah never get it," she told him almost inaudibly, and looked away. "Ah'm th' 'untouchable', 'membah? Ah've… Ah've never done this befo'."

Remy's hand under her chin brought her gaze back to his, filled with a tender look. "_Chère_, y' trust dis t'ief?"

"Yes," Rogue answered without hesitation.

His loving smile quelled all her worries, and once again the couple embraced, slowly lowering onto the bed. Hands found the other's body, gently stroking and caressing every part, instigating the highest bliss. Both willed their actions to express the love they had both realized was there, but hadn't yet found the words to say. Joining together and letting themselves be overwhelmed by their ardour, the couple finally relinquished themselves to the rapture and ecstasy they created.

Hours later morning appeared, slowly rousing Remy from his peaceful slumber. He couldn't remember ever being so rested. He didn't dare open his eyes, wanting to preserve the warmth and calm he felt before he fully awakened. Regrettably, something at the back of his mind kept nagging him. What was it? There was something he was forgetting… With a groan, the realization that today was his wedding day hit Remy full force.

He withheld his utter horror at that fact to wonder why he hadn't remembered it in the first place. Every single day when he awoke, he mentally ticked another day off his internal wedding countdown. Definitely not the most positive way to start his day, but it kept things in perspective. But why not today, the most important day of all?

Scowling, Remy gave up speculating and opened his eyes. Instantly the wedding was shoved out of his mind as he stared at the angel in his arms, and the memories of last night (well, earlier this morning) came rushing back. He would have marvelled at the sheer fact that Rogue could push all of his problems away so effortlessly if he wasn't so hypnotized by the sight of her. She was still asleep, head resting on his chest and arms wrapped snugly around him, with his arms encircling her body as well. If he thought she looked beautiful before, there were no words he could use to describe how perfect she appeared to him now.

Never before had Remy remained in a woman's arms after a night of passion; as soon as dawn broke, he snuck out without a second thought. Now he couldn't contemplate ever moving from the embrace he was in. With agonizing care he brushed a strand of hair out of Rogue's face, not wanting to wake her – he never wanted this moment to end. Remy briefly wondered if she could hear his heartbeat increase as he thought of her, when she slowly began to stir.

Incoherently grumbling, Rogue didn't feel like waking up. Not that she ever did. She tried to recapture her sleep by burrowing deeper into her pillow. Her pillow that smelt like delicious Cajun spices. At that her brow furrowed in confusion – since when did her pillow smell like spices? And since when did it have a heartbeat? Suddenly it all came back to her, and Rogue raised her head with a start, only to be met by mirth-filled eyes that could only belong to one person.

"_Bon matin_, _chère_ (Good morning, dear)," grinned Remy. "Sleep well? 'Cause if y' didn', Remy don' mind bein' used as a pillow 'gain."

Rogue smiled back sheepishly and rolled off him, although quite regretfully. "Sorry, sugah."

Remy just chuckled, and then moved above her, propping himself up with his elbows. "Said I didn' mind, _chère_."

"That's good, 'cause Ah think yah've got some skills in that area," she joked.

"T'ink maybe Remy should give up t'ievin' an' become yo' own professional head-rest?" he teased right back.

That caused her to laugh, and Remy's heart to swell. He lowered his head and languidly placed a sweet kiss on her forehead, then moved down to plant one on her nose, and then a sweet lingering one on her lips. Then he pulled back a bit to just stare at her, with her gazing right back. No words were exchanged, because the emotions could be plainly seen swirling in their eyes – however, Remy needed to speak. He had to tell her how he felt, she needed to know. He loved her. He knew now, he knew the second he kissed her; the feeling inside of him right now was love, it couldn't be anything else - and Rogue had brought it out in him.

"_Chère_," he began. "Rogue… I need t' tell y' dis…"

Rogue knew what he was about to say, and not only because she could see it plainly expressed on his face and in his eyes; she ached to tell him the same thing too. She loved him. She knew now, she knew the second he kissed her; the feeling she couldn't quite understand inside of her was love, and it was all for Remy. She wanted nothing more than to hear him tell her, and to respond in kind, but she couldn't.

Swiftly placing her fingers over his lips, she told him, "Shh. Ah know, Remy. Believe meh, Ah know. But it's yo' weddin' day…"

There it was, that horrible little fact. Today was the day he was supposed to pledge his love and devotion to another. This whole situation made a blasphemy of Valentine's Day, and they were both blatantly aware of it.

With a sigh, Remy looked over at the clock. "Remy has t' go. I swear I don' wan' t'… But Remy's gonna go an'-"

Once again, Rogue shushed him. "It's okay, Remy. Whatever yah choose, Ah understand, Ah really do. Yah don' have t' explain it t' meh."

Struck speechless, Remy could only gazed in astonishment at her. Any other woman would have begged and shed a few tears to be picked over somebody else, but not Rogue – she left it all up to him, no pressure. It raised his opinion of her even higher, if that was possible. Not quite sure how to express how much that meant to him, he decided to let his lips do the talking as he leaned in for a searing kiss.

It pained him to pull away. Trying to lighten the mood, he forced a smile and told her, "Y' know, _chère_, y' make it mighty hard t' get outta bed."

Rogue didn't trust herself to speak, afraid that she might cave and ask him not to leave her. She couldn't do that to him, she couldn't ask him to choose her. It was a decision he had to make himself, for his family's future or his own. She wouldn't dare influence him, regardless of how much she wanted to wrap her arms around him and never let go. Instead, she just put on a brave smile and closed her eyes, trying to ward off the tears beginning to form.

Remy noticed, and placed a kiss to each eyelid. "It'll be alright, _chère_."

She nodded, and managed to whisper, "Ya have t' go."

"Remy has t' go," he sorrowfully confirmed, yet made no move to do so. Giving Rogue a departing kiss that neither wanted to end, he slowly left the warmth she offered and climbed out of bed.

As he headed out of the room, he heard her call out to him. "Remy?"

Turning, he had to exercise every ounce of willpower he possessed to not run back into her arms at the sight of her looking so alone, wrapped in blankets. "_Oui_, _chère?"_

"Be careful. Th' mercenary's still out there."

"Always, _chère_." And with a longing glance back at the thief that stole his heart, he left.

* * *

SQUEAL! Hmm, is it sad that I'm squealing at my _own_ fluff? Whatever, I don't care, cuz I LOVED writing this! I hope it got you all squealy too.

Next chapter – a certain mercenary arrives on the scene. Dun dun duhh!

So, there it was. Fluff. Mush. Sap. Romy goodness. Of course, there are still problems to be sorted out, but we can just ignore that for now and focus on the cuteness! That's the ticket, there's nothing healthier than a good dose of denial. Except possibly reviews. Come on, let's beat 500! And I honestly wanna know what you thought about my fluff attempt, so get typing!

Kisses,

ish


	12. Expectations

**Disclaimer:** Okay, we all know I don't own the X-Men. Maybe I could _borrow_ them for a while… and by borrow, I mean take them and never give them back.

**A/N: **Yay, thanks for all the great squealy responses to last chapter! Sadly, there's no more of the uber fluff today. We're continuing on with the plot, which really needs to get going, since we've only got about 2 chapters left. Oh, how the time flies…

Krys Xanthina, Goldylokz, Calliann, vespie, Jukebox, ladyshopsticks, Midnight Selene, the tiny one, chibidrummergirl, bitrona, The Sphinx Minx, le-diable-blanc, SadYear, Tokyobabe2040, Linda Keene, The Rogue Cajun, Rogue14, Riannin, EternalStarlight, me, Danfred, De-Femme-O-Da-Night, Peace215, Lisa, roguewannabe29, Rogue4787, roguelebeaux003, AnalisDestiny, Taineyah, Arain Rowan/Arin Ross/Anee, Katrina5, RoguesHeart, VinGirl, frozen fire, PomegranateQueen, PsychoRomyChica, & danielle britton – Alright, we've seen people give out stars, bunnies, medals, plushies, you name it. So I thought I'd be even more original, to truly show how much I appreciate your reviews… Ok, what haven't we seen before? Anyone want a toaster?

Seven Sunningdale – You know, I was SO crushed by your request for not so much third-person that I curled up in a ball and cried… Nah, kidding, no worries. I was trying to go for the more impactful thing when he says "I" actually, if you notice in chpt. 11 when he says it, it's in the more serious situations and such. Hey, you give us a happy ending, and I'll gladly go through my whole fic and change it to first-person if you want! Ahh bribery, is there anything better? By the way, I loved your reaction to the sex. You really do love the Belle torture, don'tcha? She shows up today, but no torture. Yet. ;-)

Aro – I feel your pain with evil non-sending reviews too. We can start a support group - you're gonna get over this, don't worry!

heartsyhawk – Speechless, eh? Good reaction. But pregnancy? That'd be an interesting plot line, but it won't happen. Let's assume they used protection, shall we? I just didn't write it in there, cuz it'd really kill the flow if between all the sappy fluff there was suddenly, "But first Remy had to put on a condom". NOT that I condone unprotected sex! Cuz that's just stupid. And they aren't stupid. Henceforth they used protection. Or it just magically appeared or something – a wizard did it! Ok?

Zen Bailong & Girl number 1 – Wow, thanks for saying that my fic is on the level with those awesome ones you mentioned! Holy ego boost, batman!

Green Eyed Lilys Daughter – Yeah, the Assassins are just full of asses. How apt! And no, I don't think they'd like the mistress thing. And yes, Johnny Depp club ahoy! He could be our mascot, which would only make sense.

Michelle – Woah, back the crazy train up a bit! Actually, I think you fell _off_ the crazy train. ;-)

Princess of Monkeys – Glad we can scare your coworkers. And actually, the 90 thing _was_ inspired by the weather channel. I didn't want to go too graphic, partially cuz I didn't feel like upping the rating, but also cuz I think the imagination can fill in the blanks much better than I could. You know what sort of fun things that can come up with! evil leer You're into angsty character trauma? Nah, I think you're into angsty _reader_ trauma – where's your update, woman? Do you have any idea how twitchy I am? I'm gonna keep hounding you about this! But only cuz I love. ;-)

Panther Nesmith – I'm a crack dealer? Sweet! I have such lofty goals… Mmm, the wet clothes part was my favourite too. And you were right, enter Belladonna, stage left!

Krac – Here's cameo goodness! And I'm still waiting for Lapin… ;-)

XXFleurdelySxX – Ahh, angry Fleur scares me! You made me want to hang my head in shame, you really did. Don't worry, I'll try to make it up to you! Eventually.

Star-of-Chaos – Yum, Remy with a side of waffles… drool!

Caliente – Your crassness made me laugh. Yeah, you _would_ throw in uber angst! I'm not as evil as you. Instead of angst, there'll be plenty of juicy drama coming up though! And sorry, I honestly don't care about the Super Bowl. Your crazy American rules make no sense to my simple Canadian brain!

SassyGrl024 – I made you cry? Sweet! I mean, not that I purposely set out to do so, cuz that'd be pretty mean, but I'm just glad I got such a powerful reaction out of somebody! Huzzah.

Remy's Angy – You weren't the only giddy one. Seriously, when I was typing it out, I was just sporadically giggling, it was amusing. Too good? Oh, does that mean I can stop trying? ;-)

Lightspeed Suzuka – It's ish-AND-a-half. Not that it makes sense either way… it was the crack. As always.

Before we start, just thought I'd mention that I don't own Kae, whom you will shortly read about. It's another fun cameo appearance, this time by Krac! She's so kindly giving me cameos in her fics (which you all should read by the way – get on that trolley, go! Well, maybe not _now_, how about after you read this puppy?), so I'm reciprocating the gesture. _Obviously_ I don't own her. Or do I? Nope. Once again, no slavery ring for me… _yet_!

* * *

February Fifteenth

**Chapter Twelve – Expectations **

Belladonna arrived at St. Louis Cathedral early, anxious to verify that everything was in place. Actually, she was anxious in general – after all, it was her wedding day. The rain from last night had cleared, and turned into a beautiful, sunny morning; that meant worrying about the weather could be put aside. All that was left was one last finalization for the catering, making sure the flowers and decorations had been properly arranged, putting on her gown and makeup, and of course, hoping that Remy didn't have a hangover from his last night of bachelorhood. After all the hard work she put into planning her storybook wedding, she was determined it would be perfect.

The pretty blonde woman bounced around excitedly, followed by a less-enthusiastic redhead, already annoyed by her companion's constant chattering and criticisms.

"Kae, _chère_, I wish y'd take out yo' nose stud, it won' go wit' de whole formal look o' everyone else! It be bad 'nough dat y' dyed yo' hair black un'erneat' – did y' do dat jus' t' piss me off? Don' know why y' insist on bein' so "original"," Belle complained to her, while Kae just rolled her eyes and tried to repress an evil grin. It really was too easy to piss Belle off – and fun too, in her opinion. "An' don' get me started on dat tattoo on yo' back! Had t' change all de bridesmaid dresses so dat it wouldn' show when y're walkin' down de aisle!"

"Which tattoo? I've got three," Kae grumbled, scowling at the thought of the monstrosity she was being forced to wear – a flouncey pink taffeta nightmare that she was quite certain had been summoned up from the depths of hell. "You could've changed the colour too, but _nooo_!"

"Oh hush, it'll look _darlin'_ on y', I don' know why y' always wear dose dark colours all de time," she replied as they entered the church. She gasped in awe upon viewing the beautiful floral arrangements all laid out.

Carefully inspecting the set-up, everything seemed to meet Belle's expectations. 'Thank the Lord,' thought Kae caustically. She knew the Assassin could throw impressive tantrums, but she would hate to see one on her wedding day – it just might scare the groom away.

The bride was already eager to put on her gown, even though it was early, so the girls began to make their way down to the church's lower levels to go change. On the way, they ran into Jean-Luc and Henri. "_M'sieurs_ LeBeau!" exclaimed Belle. "Why y' here so early?"

"_Bonjour_, Belladonna. Y' look radiant, as always," the Guild patriarch greeted her. "We jus' wanted t' see if everyt'in' was ready fo' m' son's big day." The lie was simplistic enough, and so she accepted it readily. The real reason they were there was to finalize the organization of Remy's protective services, but for obvious reasons she couldn't be informed of that. While it seemed unlikely that she was in on her brother's plan, the chance couldn't be taken.

Belle gracefully blushed at his compliment, even though he was just stating the obvious. Impatiently she asked them, "Is Remy here yet? Dat boy better not b' late, or he's in fo' it!"

"_Non_, he's still home, y' know how he is. But don' worry, I left Tante Mattie wit' de task o' draggin' him out o' bed, so he'll be here soon. Dere's no way he'll get away from her."

"Now why'd he wan' t' do a t'ing like dat?" laughed Belle, not even noticing the posture of the men in front of her stiffen ever so slightly. "He is marryin' _moi_, after all."

"He's jus' exaggeratin', o' course. But aren' de bride an' groom not supposed t' see each ot'er 'till de weddin'?" Henri questioned, quickly changing the subject.

She scoffed. "Dat's a stupid tradition. I wan' t' see Remy."

"Relax," Kae said shaking her head in vexation. Spending time with her friend was beginning to feel more like babysitting. "He'll be here eventually. Come on, let's go get you ready."

The two thieves watched them silently until they were out of earshot. "Y' sure y' wan' her as a _belle-fille_ (daughter-in-law)?" Henri asked his father.

"It don' matter what I wan', an' y' know dat," he replied. "Y' t'ink she's in on it?"

"_Non_, she's a lousy _actrice_ (actress). 'Sides, she's in love wit' Remy. She wouldn' wan' him dead."

"Let's hope she still feels de same way after her _père_ (father) and _frère_ (brother) get punished by de elders, henh? Come, we got work t' do."

While their planning continued, a floor below them an excited young woman was helped into her wedding dress.

"_Merde_, I can' believe how good I look!" Belle proclaimed, twirling around in a huge heap of white silk and lace.

"Aren't you the refreshingly modest one," Kae sarcastically responded. Belle had the ability to potentially wear a paper bag and make it look good, and she was all too aware of that fact.

"I can' wait until Remy sees me in dis, he'll just _die_!" she continued, unaware that anybody else had spoken. "Still can' believe 'm actually gettin' married t'day, y' know? An' t' Remy, no less! Now I can brag dat I was de one t' make de ladies' man o' N'Awlins finally settle down."

"Belle, you do remember that this was an _arranged_ marriage, right?"

To that, she just waved a perfectly manicured hand, as if swatting the pesky matter away. "_Oui_, but dat don' matter, 'cause we love each ot'er anyway. Would've happened sooner or later, it's not like we're bein' forced int' dis! An' who're y' t' talk 'bout true love anyway? Y' still got dat soft spot fo' Lapin?"

A glare was her only response. The question was redundant; Belle was the one who had pinpointed the exact origin of the crush, back in the tenth grade when Émil had finally given up dropping frogs down Kae's shirt.

"Y' don' know what we've got. De way he looks at me, de way he treats me like _une princesse_ (a princess), jus' like I should be… He loves me, y' can jus' tell wit' dese t'ings. I can' wait 'till it's official!"

"You're lucky," Kae told her sincerely. "Hope it works out for you."

Belle looked at her with a questioning glance. "Why'd y' say dat?"

She just shrugged. "Don't know, no reason I suppose. Sounded like the right thing to say."

"Y're so silly, y' know dat? 'Course it's gonna work out. Now, can y' be a _chère_ an' go pick a few flowers from some o' de arrangements upstairs? 'M gonna put some in m' hair."

"Sure," came an indifferent reply.

"Make sure dat y' get de good blooms!"

"Mm-hmm," humoured Kae as she moved out into the hallway. Anything that would postpone the horror of putting on her bridesmaid dress was a godsend.

"An' don' take too many from one bouquet! We can' have dem lookin' bare!"

"Whatever!" came the shout from outside, with the shut door doing nothing to reduce the amount of exasperation carried in it – it was going to be a long day.

Satisfied, Belle turned back to the mirror, content to examine her reflection some more. A rather loud knock a minute later interrupted her. "Come in!" she called, her eyes never shifting.

Nobody entered, and another rap followed. "Come in, Kae! It ain' locked," yelled Belle.

Still nobody crossed the threshold. At the sound of one more knock, Belle was irritated enough to finally drag herself away from the mirror.

"_Merde_, how many flowers did y' bring dat y' couldn' open de door yo'self?" she muttered as she gathered up her dress and headed towards the door. Then the thought that it might be Remy coming to catch her unawares popped into her mind; the idea of her dashing prince pulling a romantic stunt like that made her smile, and she pulled open the door in anticipation of her surprise.

Only blocks away, Rogue had watched another woman's fiancé leave with pain written all over her face. She waited until she heard the suite door shut, and then let herself weep. She couldn't remember the last time she had cried, but now silent tears fell down her face without remorse. Almost as if they were saving up for this moment. With every fibre of her being she wished and hoped and prayed that he would come back to her – and yet she couldn't blame him if he did what was best for his Guild either.

Wiping the moisture from her face, Rogue crawled out of the sheets. She showered, using a fruity body wash to replace his spicy scent; it only served as a reminder of what they had shared. Then she got dressed - the whole time moving slowly, as if in a trance. Her wardrobe was compiled of mostly black attire; today that matched her mood better than ever before. All she could think about was him, how he had touched her, both physically and emotionally. She didn't want to pine over him, being that insipid type of girl who was pathetically fixated on her man, but she couldn't help it. She loved him. She loved him, and he might not be able to be with her, and that hurt.

Trying to steer her thoughts in a different direction, Rogue decided that she needed a distraction. She concluded that she should start packing – whatever happened, whatever his decision was, she knew she wouldn't be staying in New Orleans for much longer. When she was almost finished, a loud knock interrupted her haze. Instantly hoped welled up in Rogue's heart – could it be Remy? Had he picked her? A chastising voice sprung up in her head reminding her not to be that pathetic girl, but she didn't care. Rushing to the door, she flung it open, anticipation brimming inside of her.

After reluctantly leaving Rogue, Remy had made his way back to Guild headquarters, easily slipping past the heightened security. Luckily he had helped design the system, so no great deal of concentration was required for him to bypass it. If there had been, he undoubtedly would have set off the alarms in seconds; his mind was elsewhere. Specifically on the bind he found himself in, which was nothing new. Except now there was a whole new twist to factor in.

He had already been aware of the seriousness of his situation – he was stuck between a rock and a hard place, forced to choose between the good of the Guilds and his own happiness. Now the decision was all the more critical, because his happiness wasn't the only thing hanging in the balance - Rogue's was as well.

Just the mere thought of her name sent Remy's mind spiralling back in time a few hours, to passion they created together. He had slept with several women before, but that was just sex – plain and simple, with no deeper emotions feeding it other than lust and the need for distraction. That was Remy attempting to forget his troubles, trying to find something that he wasn't sure existed. It was nothing compared to what he had shared with Rogue; he could say with certainty that it was the first time he had truly made love, and nothing or nobody else would even come close to competing with that. He had found what he was looking for - her. He loved her. He had wanted nothing more than to tell her that, but was grateful she stopped him; it would be unfair to both of them to confess their love with the wedding still taking place, just waiting to drive an insurmountable barrier between them.

That stopped him cold. The wedding was still on. It had been foolish of him to go to Rogue's hotel room and initiate something that could never happen again, no matter how much they both wanted it to… No. Remy couldn't bring himself to regret his actions. He could _never_ regret what happened; he would remember it forever, marriage or no marriage. He tried to shake those notions out of his head, he shouldn't be focusing on hypothetical situations. Now was time for decisiveness.

Knowing that Rogue wanted to say that she loved him too calmed Remy down some. The way his life had been heading, he figured it would simply be the final nail in his coffin to finally find somebody he loved that didn't love him back. Thankfully, that wasn't the case; he had seen the look in Rogue's eyes, and figured it must have been the same one that shone in his as well.

As he climbed into his room through the window, Remy let himself be swept away in his memories as he sat down on the sill. The reminiscences of his hands on her body, of her's all over his, of her sweet magnolia scent enveloping him… He felt as giddy as a shy little schoolboy with his first crush - which was surreal, since Remy had _never_ been shy with his crushes. That was more Lapin's territory.

Remy was in love. He could barely believe it, he had to keep repeating it over and over again to himself. Maybe Valentine's Day wasn't so bad after all. Suddenly what he had just thought sunk in, and his feelings of elation quickly evaporated. It was Valentine's Day, his wedding day. He had realized that he was in love on his wedding day, and it wasn't with his wife-to-be. Now Remy was _sure_ there was irony present, but he couldn't dwell on that right now. He had things to do.

He was startled into action with a knock on his door, and Tante Mattie shouting, "Remy, y' ready yet?"

Rapidly trying to throw off his trench coat and yesterday's clothes, he yelled back, "Not yet! Hol' on a few mo' minutes!"

To his horror, Mattie just opened the door instead and walked inside. The plump black woman raised an eyebrow and shook her head at Remy, who had his coat sliding off of one arm while trying to pull off his shirt with the other. The clacking sounds of her beaded hair slapping together only accentuated the "Tsk, tsk" that came out of her mouth as she clicked her tongue at him.

"Tante!" he exclaimed in surprise. "What if Remy wasn' decent?"

"Oh, hush up, chil'," she told him. "Y' can' pull one o'er on me, I know all yo' tricks. I know y' were jus' gettin' back."

"Y're right, jus' wen' out fo' a smoke," he quickly lied. "An' - "

"Don' lie t' me, Remy!" she interrupted, wagging a finger at him. "I can always tell. 'Member de 'Gumbo Incident'?"

Defeated, Remy plopped down on his bed in resignation. He didn't have time for this… "Fine, fine. Jus' got back, 'm ready fo' de lecture now."

"Oh? What lecture dat be?"

"De one where y' tell Remy off fo' goin' out on de eve o' his weddin', an' how Remy should be responsible now dat he'll be _un mari_ (a husband), an' dat de weddin' be fo' de good o' de Guilds…"

Mattie just shook her head. "'M de Guild healer, Remy, not an elder. Ain't concerned wit' politics, I worry 'bout de people."

"Meanin'?"

"I helped raise y', ever since Jean-Luc brought y' in off de streets. I wan' y' t' be happy."

At this, Remy looked up at her hopefully. "Even if dat means not goin' t'rough wit' dis weddin'?"

"_Oui_. I know y' don' wanna marry Bella, tol' dat t' Jean-Luc from de beginnin'. He's jus' as _entêté_ (stubborn) as y' sometimes."

"Phfft, already knew dat," he muttered.

She ignored his disdain and continued. "Jus' do what y' have t', chil'. I won' blame y' none. De ot'ers be angry at first, but I t'ink dey'll un'erstan' eventually."

Breaking into a genuine smile, Remy leapt up and hugged the one woman in his life that had been like a mother to him. "_Merci_, Tante Mattie. Y' don' know how 'portant dat be t' _moi_."

"_Oui_, I t'ink I do. Y' deserve t' be wit' de one y' really love. Ev'ryone does."

Those words caused him to pull back suddenly and give her a wary look. "_Pardon_? (Excuse me?)"

"Already tol' y', y' can' pull one o'er on me!" she chuckled. "I can tell. _Tu es amoureux_ (You're in love)."

"Y' already know dat I don' love Belle," he told her, slightly confused.

"_Oui_, dat's not who 'm talkin' 'bout. Y' in love wit' de Rogue, aren' y'?" Mattie had to laugh at the look of astonishment Remy gave her.

"…_Comment?_ (How?)" he sputtered.

"Jean-Luc tol' me 'bout everyt'in', 'bout how y' looked at her, an' he was suspicious. An' I can see dat somet'in's made y' happy, despite de weddin'. Y' got a glint in yo' eyes… I jus' put _deux_ an' _deux_ toget'er."

He could only gape at her feminine intuition. After a few seconds of no words emerging, he managed to spit out, "An' y' okay wit' dis?"

"Depends," she said sternly as she gave him a hard look. "_Are_ y' in love wit' her?"

She would never let him get away with anything, but Remy couldn't help but give her a dreamy smile. "_Oui. Oui_, I love 'er." His only smile widened after saying it out loud for the first time – it seemed all the more authentic now.

At his admission, Mattie positively beamed at him. "_Bien!_ (Good!) 'M happy fo' y' - y' two are good fo' each ot'er. Y' have a lot in common – dere's been lots o' pain in' yo' lives, but I know y' can make each ot'er happy."

He stared at her briefly before starting in realization. "Y' de one dat helped her, didn' y? When she ran t' N'Awlins?"

Her only answer to that was a knowing grin and a pat on the cheek. "_Bonne chance_ (Good luck), Remy. I know dis is a difficult choice y' have t' make, but it be yo's, an' no one else's. Do what y' t'ink y' have t'. Go be wit' whoever y' wan' t' be wit' – 'cause y' wan' t', not 'cause y're forced t'."

Her advice dispensed, Mattie made her way out of the room and down the stairs. She had no doubt that Remy was now rapidly packing his things and would be sneaking off. Which left her with the deed of going to the church and breaking the news to both Guilds. She didn't mind – it would be better accepted coming from her. And at least this way Remy would be happy, and Belladonna wouldn't kill him when she found out that he left her.

Arriving at the church, she joined the guests already mingling outside on the lawn. Moving through the crowd, she found Jean-Luc and Henri near the fountain and went over to them.

"Mattie! 'Bout time y' got here, what took y' so long?" asked Jean-Luc.

"We had a nice little talk," she told him.

"_Merde_, tell me dat y' tol' him dis needed t' be done!"

"Tol' him t' follow _son coeur_ (his heart)."

The Guild Master closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and very slowly said, "_Please_ tell me dat doesn' mean what I t'ink it does."

"Don' t'ink dat matters, Papa," interjected a very surprised Henri. "'Cause looks like his _coeur_ tol' him t' come t' de weddin'! Ain't dat him o'er dere?"

The trio turned and saw a familiar trench coated figure dash into the church.

"_Incroyable!_ (Incredible!) I honestly didn' t'ink he'd show up!" exclaimed Henri.

"Neither did I," said Mattie, a disheartened and confused expression on her face.

Remy's family weren't the only ones that hadn't expected him to be sprinting into the cathedral, because Remy hadn't anticipated this particular turn of events either. After Mattie left, he had come to his decision. He had written a note explaining his actions and why he had to do what he was doing, hoping she would understand. Although he could also appreciate if she wouldn't be able to forgive him for it, after all they had been through. Remy left the mansion ready to deliver it, but was puzzled when he had found a note addressed to him first.

Now he was running up the stairs inside the church as if his life depended on it; in reality, two others' did. Bursting through the door leading to the roof, Remy froze. Normally his attention would be stay with the hairy, hulking man wearing animal furs, but that wasn't what made his heart stop. No, that was attributed to the two women that he had tightly bound in ropes and was dangling over the edge of the cathedral.

* * *

Next chapter – We've got a certain animalistic individual on a certain church roof with two certain female hostages, I _wonder_ what will happen! This could end in tears… Or will it? Dun dun duhh.

And yes, if this seems familiar to you, that's cuz it is. Remy went through a fiasco like this in the comics, but rest assured, that's not necessarily what's gonna happen here – so don't think you know how it'll end! I took the basic concept for inspiration, but I'm tweaking it to fit my purposes. Wow, this little plot bunny's been bugging me _forever_, finally a chance to placate it!

SO! Tune in next time (hopefully a few days) to appease your twitchiness from this cliffhanger! Or should I call it a _church_-hanger?! Hey-O! a collective groan is heard Yeah, sorry about that. If I didn't scare you away with my horrible pun, please review! We beat 500, let's keep 'em coming!

Kisses,

ish


	13. Hanging in the Balance

**Disclaimer:** I'm an insane Canadian teenaged girl. Insane Canadian teenaged girls don't own the X-Men. Therefore, I don't own the X-Men! Damn logic.

**A/N:** Back again! That's right, it's that time you've all been waiting for, a nice new shiny chapter! Huzzah. I hope you were all adequately twitchy after the church-hanger (I happen to think that's _quite_ funny, thank you very much!). I'll just prolong those tics and spams a _wee_ bit longer… Responses ahoy!

Caliente, Calliann, vespie, Riannin, Personage, Mysterious Fan Girl, Peace25, Arain Rowan, Rogue77, roguelebeaux??3, Rogue4787, heartsyhawk, SassyGrl?24, PomegranateQueen, Midnight Selene, Risty, Danfred, Taineyah, Girl number , charice, Cloud of Blood, roguewannabe29, & Rogue4 – How about a nice thank-you coffee pot this time? Ooh, sleek and sexy stainless steel too. ;-)

frozen fire & PsychoRomyChica – Sorry, but you'll _never_ know what the Gumbo Incident! It's meant to be a mystery. Did you ever read the Calvin & Hobbes comic strip, with the 'noodle incident'? Like that, it's never revealed! Cuz it makes you wonder, and I laugh.

UniversalAnimeGirl – Glad you stopped lurking, come and revel in our insanity with us! Wheeee!

Lightspeed Suzuka – Ahh, booze and crack, you know the path to my heart! ;-)

dragonfire99 – See, life is all about overcoming obstacles, and we managed to do so. Yay for us!

Aro – Oh, I see how it goes, you only review when it's _convenient_, eh? I'm hurt! Nahh, not really. But I AM glad I made you twitch, bwa ha ha!

green sandels88 – Woah! Holy plethora of reviews, batman! Thanks for that, I really appreciate you being compelled. Sleep? What is this thing you call sleep? You crazy Americans. You made me laugh like the dickens with your date confusion! You know, I went back and reminded myself of what your fic was even about (it's been so long!), and hey, you had the church-hanger too! How quirky. Well, you better get cracking on that, it's been too long. Yes, of _course_ you were original with the crack bunny comment, sure. looks away and whistles innocently I'll see you on that flip side you keep mentioning, do you have directions?

Zen Bailong – Now, I did say I would tweak the scenario, didn't I? Who says it _isn't_ Wolvie? waits a beat until you're sufficiently freaked Nahh, I wouldn't make my Canadian buddy do that! Hey, your thinking parallels my own – in the comics, I didn't feel it was really much of a choice between brother and meaningless stranger (whom he seduced, so they're not _technically_ strangers, but you know what I mean!). So I wanted to make stakes a bit higher, again with the whole duty vs. love thing that's been running throughout the fic, but now with death thrown in! And that brings us to this chapter.

Seven Sunningdale – Mattie reminds me of Aunt Jemima too! Weird. Sorry you felt bad about Rogue being the "other woman", although she really is. Some more of that this chapter, hate to tell you. Well, now you get to know what it feels like to have a story not go the way you want it! cough ending of Giddy! cough cough ;-) Also more Belle, and I'm not sure, but you _may_ feel sorry for her. Well, probably not _you_ personally, what with your searing hatred and all (me too, for that matter), but the average reader (you know, those with a little thing called compassion – and a soul! Heh heh) might. I can't really judge it that well, I'm _slightly_ biased.

Remy's Angy – Lapin the Guild Master? Ooh, it has a nice ring to it. I love him too! I think it's pretty obvious, me being the Mistress of the Crack Bunnies and all, that he's my soul mate! Rabbits, Lapin - coincidence? I think not!

Green Eyed Lilys Daughter – Why have a johnny doll when we could have the real thing? Oh, I WISH! Time to break out the cloning machine.

Panther Nesmith – Riot, eh? You can bring the RABID girls, it'll be a party! We'll have to make tea and crumpets, we simply _must_ have the proper riot etiquette!

Krac – Now, why would I _ever_ want revenge on you and your evil cliffhangers? gives an innocent look Doesn't look like you and Lapin are gonna fit in anywhere else, but you sure can pretend! Yeah, since all the wedding stuff is already set up, you two can just walk down the aisle so it doesn't all go to waste, and everybody wins! ;-)

Princess of Monkeys – Well, some people liked my fun pun! glares I'm glad you hate Belle, that gives me hope for when she appears in your fic. Well, if _EVER!_ Torture by lack of updates is the worst kind, and rest assured, it's working! Why, why?! What did I EVER do to you?!

Alright, that's done and done. And I mean done! Now here for your reading amusement, my longest chapter yet! The pinnacle, the highpoint, the climax (well, another type! snickers) of the fic! Onward. Oh by the way, the site's being bitchy, so I hope all the formatting and such works out!

* * *

February Fifteenth

**Chapter Thirteen – Hanging in the Balance**

The last thing either woman could remember before blacking out was being ambushed in their respective rooms. Now both had regained consciousness, yet were slightly groggy from the after effects of chloroform. However, Belle immediately perked up at the sight of her knight in shining armour bursting onto the scene to rescue her, and started screaming. "Remy! Help me! _Mon Dieu_, don' let him drop me!"

"Shut your mouth, frail," growled the monster. "You annoy me too much, maybe I'll just drop you to save my eardrums."

That quickly silenced her, but fear remained in her eyes. Glancing over at Rogue, Remy could see the worry was apparent on her face, although she was putting up a very brave front. He quickly reached into a pocket to pull out some cards, but the action didn't go unnoticed.

"Don't think so, runt," he told Remy gleefully. "You try to hit me with anything, and these bitches will drop. You wouldn't want that, now would you?"

"What do y' want?" asked a bewildered Remy. "Who are y'?"

"The name's Sabretooth," came the response, along with a feral grin. "And you got somethin' I want. The Cheating Star."

At that Remy blinked. _L'Étoile du Tricherie?_ He knew the trinket well - stealing the pendant had been part of the "Tracts of Passage" initiating him into the Thieves Guild. The Darceneaux's obviously must have been upset about their loss of one of the largest jewels in the world, but would they have hired this psychopath to get it back?

"_Oui_, I still have it," he told Sabretooth, hoping this could be resolved peacefully. "How 'bout Remy gives it t' y', an' y' let de _femmes_ down, henh? Den we all be happy."

"Nahh, too easy," was the taunting answer. "You got any idea of the shit I went through trackin' you down, punk? Not to mention the trouble of knockin' out these two frails here. Think since we're all up here, we might as well have some _fun_."

"Dis be b'tween you an' me, _salaud _(bastard)! Y' de one hired t' kill me, _oui_? Why don' y' come an' try?"

"That was the plan, but this one's better. I like to play with my prey before I kill it. And now we got us some bait."

At that Belle attempted to kick him in the side, but only ended up twirling around, suspended by the rope. A chilling laugh accompanied the action. "Aww, that all you got? You're feisty, ain'tcha? Would've expected more out of this one," he said, yanking up Rogue's cord. "'S'matter, all that attitude you got from Mystique leave when you did?"

"Don't yah worry, Vicky," she told him evenly, with a look that could kill. "Ah'm saving it up to kick yo' sorry ass."

He just smiled wickedly at that, pointed canines protruding from his mouth. "We'll see. Not if I drop you, huh?"

Turning back to Remy, he began to explain the rules of their little game. "Now, Coonass, I know the sticky situation you're in. So I'm gonna help you out! Pick one," he said, nodding to the girls. "And whatever one you don't, I'll drop."

Remy's eyes widened - he really _was_ psychotic. When he had received the anonymous note telling him to make haste to the cathedral, that the both Belle and Rogue would be there, he had been fearful – but not like this! He had assumed his secret would be revealed upon both of them meeting, but in a way that would have been easier, having the choice made for him. If it was hard before, it was nearly impossible now - whichever woman he didn't pick would fall to her death. How could he possibly decide? He had accepted the earlier consequences, of one being heartbroken - but dying? He couldn't condemn either of them in that way.

"_Maudit_ (Goddamn), Remy!" screeched Belle. "Hurry up an' get m' down!"

He could only stare. She looked at him with desperate eyes, fully expecting him to save her. Meanwhile Rogue simply gazed back at him; there was no panic or despair or hope in her eyes, almost as if she had resigned herself to her fate – and that made his heart break. The women were complete opposites – leather and lace, dark and light, freedom and constraint. One he was supposed to love, and one that he did. The choice should have been effortless, but nothing could make this easy. This was the hardest thing he would ever have to do in his life.

"Remy! What's takin' y' so damn long? Y' don' even know dat girl, jus' let her drop!"

He didn't answer, eyes continually fixated on Rogue. He couldn't bear to look away.

She surprised him when she said, "Save her."

"_Quoi_?" he asked, confused.

"Save her, Remy," Rogue repeated. "Yah have to."

"Listen t' her, Remy!" cried Belle, her voice full of hopefulness. "She wants t' drop, so let her!"

He couldn't really comprehend what he was hearing. Was Rogue asking for him to choose Belle? To let her die?

"Remy, trust meh," she said firmly, with an intense look in her eyes. "Let me go."

Letting out an infuriated sigh, Belle decided to try a different approach. "Look, I know y'll feel bad 'bout her, but she's nobody, she don' matter! Y' have t' save me - y' love me, not her!"

Hearing her words, Remy and Rogue both failed to suppress a flinch. Belle observed this, and a confused look spread across her face. Turning to Rogue, she asked, "Who are y'?"

Before even receiving an answer, she swung around to Remy and repeated, "Who is she?!"

His mouth opened, but nothing came out, unsure of what to tell his fiancée.

"What, she anot'er o' yo' flings? Fine, so y're attached or what have y', but y' don' love her, so let her go!"

When he still didn't answer her, she felt a sense of perplexed desperation surge within her. "Remy? _Chèr_? Y' love me! I know y' do, we tell each ot'er dat all de time! Y' say it ev'ry day!"

"Belle…" he whispered, looking away in shame.

His lack of confirmation was like a slap in the face to her. She gasped. "_Mon Dieu_… Y'… y' never tol' me, did y'? I always did it! What, y' decided t' jus' play along? Was dis all jus' a game t' y'?!" she screamed, growing more enraged by the second. "Y' _fils de putain_! (son of a bitch!)"

"Bella, please…" Remy implored. "'M sorry, really, it be all m' fault. But I jus' couldn' love y'… Did what had t' be done fo' was best fo' de Guilds, but den - "

"Den what?!" she screeched. "Y' go out an' find dis skunk-haired _salope_ (whore)?! What de hell does she have dat I don'?!"

If her hands weren't tied behind her back, she surely would have grabbed Rogue's throat and proceeded to strangle her. However, she could only manage to fling herself at the bitch that stole her man, and once more ended up swinging back and forth by the rope still in Sabretooth's hand.

He just laughed, deep and guttural. "Damn, this is better than I thought! Why don' we stick 'em in a mud pit and watch 'em have a cat-fight?"

"How 'bout y' let 'em go instead?" hollered Remy. "Remy'll give y' what y' wan'!"

"No way, runt. You still haven't made your choice!"

"Remy, jus' get me down already! Y' heard yo' little slut, she don' wan' t' be saved!"

Despite Belle's hostile attitude, Rogue had to agree with her. She had to be the one to drop, it was the only way. "She's right Remy, let me go!"

Before he could even get another word in, Creed sneered, "You're takin' too long!"

With that he let go of both ropes and Remy could do nothing but watch Rogue and Belladonna plummet to the ground below, feeling his heart do the same.

Belladonna screamed in terror as she fell towards the earth, Rogue by her side. She closed her eyes, unable to watch the sidewalk rush towards her. She felt a jerk, and reasoned it must have been the fatal collision with the concrete. Then came a floating feeling – surely she must have died. Hesitantly taking a glance at what the afterlife looked like, she realized she was still outside St. Louis Cathedral. Confused, she suddenly became aware of arms around her. Unsure of what had happened, Belle looked around and found herself suspended in the air, held up by a hovering Rogue.

Her screams had caught the attention of the wedding guests gathered on the lawn, prompting them to rush around the side of the cathedral towards the two women as Rogue lowered them to the pavement. As soon as her feet touched the ground Belle collapsed, too shocked to even contemplate use of her legs. As worried people crowded around her, pelting her with questions, she couldn't speak. She only looked on as Rogue flew back up to the cathedral roof. Back to Remy.

He had fallen to his knees at the roof's edge, on the brink of toppling over himself. He couldn't stand watching his fiancée and his love plunge to their deaths, yet due to some morbid fascination was unable to look away. However, there was no impact with the earth, no hideous sounds of bones breaking, no blood spilt, like he had expected. Instead, there was what he could only describe as a miracle.

To Remy's utter amazement, he saw Rogue break free from her bonds effortlessly, as if there were nothing but threads restraining her. Then he watched as she grabbed Belle and gently deposited her on the ground. Now she soared towards him – with the sun's rays serving as a backdrop and her hair billowing around her like a halo, Remy could do nothing but blurt out in astonishment, "Y' really are _un ange_ (an angel)."

"Only sometimes," she replied with a bitter smile as she moved towards him, only to be interrupted.

"What the fuck?!" Sabretooth roared, seeing Rogue floating in front of him. "Since when can you do that?"

She only smirked and gave a shrug in response, infuriating him even further. Deciding to finally end this, he quickly pounced at Remy, who barely had time to register the action, let alone dodge the attack. He expected a burly mass slamming into him, but instead felt something small and warm wrap around him and push him to the ground. They rolled along until coming to a stop, with Remy in the very familiar position of lying on top of Rogue.

He stared down at her, and nothing but relief could be seen in his eyes. "_Merde_, _chère_, don' y' ever scare m' like dat 'gain!" he weakly scolded her. "T'ought I lost y'…"

"Yah can't get rid o' me that easily, sugah," she smiled right back, glad to have him back with her. If only for the time being.

Once again so caught up in staring at each other, breathing in each other's scents and taking in each other's warmth, the duo forgot about their surroundings. That is, until a dangerous growl was heard and Remy was hauled off Rogue. Sabretooth grabbed him around the neck, lifting the Cajun towards his face.

"I've had enough of this shit," he snarled, fully intending to throttle Remy with his bare hands.

His dwindling air supply denied Remy the opportunity for a saucy comeback, so instead he decided to let his actions speak for him. Swiftly diving into his pocket, he pulled out some cards, charged them, and threw them at the beast's chest all within a split second. He roared and dropped Remy, who landed in an agile crouch. Rogue took that opportunity to deliver a roundhouse kick to the feral's head that sent him sprawling.

"Yah all right, Remy?" she asked him.

"Jus' fine, _chère_," he told her, lightly massaging his throat. "Dat's anot'er time y've helped Remy out. He ever gonna get t' return de favour?"

"Yah just might," she answered, casting a wary glance at Sabretooth who was now getting up and about to charge them. Before he had the chance to however, the door to the roof was thrown open for a second time, and a familiar Assassin ran out.

"Creed! What th' hell y' t'ink y're doin'?!" yelled a livid Julien. "I hired y' t' kill LeBeau _after_ he got married, not befo', dat was de mos' important part o' de plan! An' _ma soeur_ (my sister) had no part in dis! Y' crazy? I should kill y' fo' layin' a hand on her!"

"You know what? I don't give a shit about our deal. Money don't matter to me, more focused on the hunt and the kill. Hearin' the screams," he said with a bloodthirsty glint in his eyes. "And since I already got my scream, it's time for some killin'."

"Hoo-yeah, he be crazy all right," Remy commented, unfortunately drawing the attention back towards him.

"LeBeau!" spat out Julien. "Y' piece o' street trash mutie scum, what de hell y' do t' Bella? She be down dere cryin' like dere's no t'morrow, sayin' dat y' never loved her! Dat true?" he demanded, advancing threateningly.

"_Oui_," the thief answered quietly. There was no point in lying anymore, there was no way the situation could be salvaged now.

"_Salaud_!" he screamed. "Knew dat y' weren' good 'nough fo' her, but would anybody listen t' me? _Non!_ Y' gonna pay fo' dis!"

Reaching into his jacket, Julien grabbed two throwing knives and hurled them at Remy in rapid succession. He managed to dodge them nimbly before Sabretooth of all people stopped the Assassin.

"Hey! You hired me to kill him, and I plan on it!" he growled. "I wanna make that punk bleed after the hell I went through to find him!"

"Since when d' y' care 'bout our deal?" came the retort. "B'sides, dis be personal. Y' wan' de whole Assassins Guild on yo' ass?"

Looking as if he was about to protest, Creed suddenly was struck with an idea, and an evil smile made it's way to his face. "Fine. You can have demon-boy. But I get the frail."

Julien looked over to the Southerners, not having noticed Rogue before. When he saw her, his eyes widened in recognition. "Marie?" he asked in surprise, and then instantly realized he had been played for a fool. "_D'accord_ (Okay), kill her, I don' care. Jus' leave _him_ fo' me."

Rogue and Remy gave each other a worried glance at the combined force in front of them, now hell bent on eradicating them both.

"_Chère_, Remy wouldn' be a proper gentleman if he didn' give y' de choice o' attempted killer," he offered.

"Naw, Ah think this works fo' meh," she told him, knowing full well that she was better equipped to deal with the ferocious mutant. Likewise, Remy had dealt with the Assassins before, so no doubt would be able to handle his opponent with ease. "B'sides, who're we t' complain?"

There was no more time for quips and sarcasm as the two men lunged for their targets, and the fights began.

For a massive creature, Sabretooth could move deceptively fast; still, Rogue could move quicker, and she wasn't restricted to the ground. She dodged his first attack by flying over his jump, easily avoiding him.

"You know, I never liked you," he told her, turning to face her as she descended.

"Glad Ah made such a good impression," she said defiantly as he began his assault with a number of kicks and punches. Not one of them met their mark as Rogue performed a series of rapid back flips and handsprings, each time just straying out of her attacker's reach.

Very soon she wouldn't have further space on the roof to continue her acrobatics however, so she quickly decided to go on the offensive. Falling down into the splits, Rogue ducked under a kick originally aimed for her midsection and grabbed the leg, using her considerable strength plus it's own momentum to her advantage in twisting it, sending Sabretooth spinning around with it and falling to the ground.

Quickly leaping up, she moved towards him and aimed a powerful boot to his head. At the last second he grabbed her foot and pushed her backwards with all his might – Rogue softened her landing by pulling into a backwards somersault, but still ended up flat on her back with her adversary running towards her. As he dove, she brought her knees taut into her body and thrust them out when he was very nearly on top of her, flinging him back and over the edge of the roof.

Tucking in her knees but this time throwing them over her shoulders, Rogue bounded up from a backwards roll and ran over to where Sabretooth was grasping the ledge with one hand, his body dangling in midair much like hers had been earlier. Reaching down to absorb him and end the fight, she didn't see his other hand grab her. Getting a hold of her arm, he pulled Rogue over his shoulder and tossed her off the building.

The move didn't have much of an affect on her since she flew up instantly, but the action gave Creed the few seconds he needed to haul himself up and back onto the battlefield. As soon as he righted himself, Rogue swooped towards him in a tackle. Her plan was to knock him over, but she hadn't anticipated him taking hold of her, not allowing her to move away. The force behind her dive propelled them both backwards, rolling along until Sabretooth's greater weight pinned her below him.

Yet again Rogue found herself in a memorable position, only this time there was no attractive Cajun on top of her. Instead, there was a shaggy animal, reeking of raw meat and blood, only wanting her to hurt. His body trapping her, she tried to struggle and squirm but instantly stopped when it brought a revolting grin to his face. Looking up into his cold-blooded eyes, she couldn't help but cringe at the malicious expression he wore.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," he told her, in what could almost be described as a sadistic purr, as he slowly stroked a claw down the side of her face. "Never liked you, but I gotta admit, you're one fine piece of ass."

Rogue's only reply was to spit in his face. He backhanded her for her audacity, but she could barely feel it anyway.

"That wasn't a smart thing to do, frail," he scowled, pressing her shoulders down with his hands and leaning in towards her.

"Yeah, this probably isn't either," she replied, and before she could change her mind, she raised her head and kissed him.

As thoroughly disgusted as she was at the notion of locking lips with Sabretooth, Rogue realized that it was her best bet to get him out of the fight permanently. Scrunching her face and squeezing her eyes shut, not able to stomach looking at the thing she was kissing, she forced herself not to remove her lips until she felt his giant girth fall on top of her, unconscious. Hastily shoving his nauseating memories to the back of her mind, she heaved him off her and got up to see how Remy was faring.

While she had been battling Creed, he and Julien had been locked in combat as well, continuously exchanging and dodging rapid blows. The Assassin was definitely serious about this fight, with a dagger in his hand that was thrust in Remy's direction at every opening. Charging some of the few cards he had left, he tossed them towards Julien, causing him to quickly back pedal to avoid being hurt. Remy didn't want to seriously injure him; God knows he would be in enough trouble from the Guilds already. However, that didn't mean he wouldn't defend himself, because Julien was out for blood. If he wasn't so involved in his current activity, he would have been amused at the fact that now all three Boudreauxs wanted him dead.

Ducking under another attack, Remy grabbed Julien's arm, pivoted so that his back was facing him, and attempted to flip him over his shoulder. At the last second Julien twisted his leg around Remy's, sending them both tumbling to the ground. Julien ended up on top and used all of his strength to drive the blade towards Remy's head, but the thief's hands shot out and blocked his arms with tip of the dagger only a hair's breadth away from his temple.

Shoving the Assassin off and forcing him to drop his weapon, Remy swiftly rose to his feet. Both were too stubborn to put an end to the fight by just walking away, so they were determined to best the other. Out of cards, he charged the leftover package and threw it at his opponent, causing him to lunge back lest he be caught in the ensuing explosion. Remy took that opportunity to rearm himself as he picked up a discarded dagger.

They ran towards each other, engaging in another volley of strikes. This time Julien was the aggressor and forced Remy to move backwards to avoid being slashed, until he had almost reached the roof's ledge. Rogue finishing off the overgrown furball, so he didn't want to take the risk of falling and not having her available to catch him, as much as he would love to be cradled in her arms right now. Instead he took the only available option and sprung at Julien, knocking them both back onto the roof in a flailing heap.

The Assassin landed on top, and a sharp gasp could be heard. At first he was puzzled, because Julien wasn't moving off of him; he only stared, a confused look in his eyes. Then Remy felt something warm running over right hand, covering his fingers and the dagger he held in them.

"Remy!" he heard Rogue exclaim, running over beside him. She pulled the Assassin away and he limply rolled over, laying still on the ground. Then they saw the dagger sticking out from his chest, directly in his heart.

"Sugah, are yah all right?" she asked him in a panic, helping him sit up and checking him over for any wounds.

"'M fine," he whispered, eyes never leaving the body beside him. He hadn't meant to. . .

"Oh, Remy…" Rogue murmured, placing a hand on the side of his face, turning it away from the unpleasant sight.

She was about to wrap her arms around him, hoping she would be able to comfort him. She wanted to hold him and tell him that everything would be okay, even though it would be a lie. However, that was the moment that a group of Thieves and Assassins ran onto the roof.

Jean-Luc and Henri were the first on the scene, followed by Marius Boudreaux, various elders and a few Guild members. They all stopped sharply, stunned by the sight of the young man's corpse, unsure of what had happened.

"_Mon fils_ (my son)…" breathed Marius. Having seen his share of dead bodies, he was able to instantly tell that his boy was no longer among the living. Immediately his gaze found Remy, still sitting in the same place. "Y' killed him…" he stated, shocked into stillness. He looked back, unable to move, unable to do anything.

Suddenly Rogue stood up and declared, "No he didn't! Ah did." She couldn't let Remy take the blame for this, she knew what would happen to him. It would destroy him, even further than he already appeared to be by what he had done. They wouldn't be able to do much to her; she wasn't a Guild member so their rules didn't apply. In one sense that might have been even greater cause for worry, but with her invulnerability, they wouldn't be able to harm her.

Her false admission took some time to register in Remy's mind, and it surprised him more than anything else ever had. In his ruthless world, first on the streets and then in the criminal underworld, finding others to take the blame for you was rare; yet she had done it without hesitation. She was ready to lie and take the blame to protect him, to put herself before the wrath of both Guilds to save him, and her selflessness astounded him.

Words couldn't express how much that all meant to Remy, but he just couldn't let her go through with it. It was all clear to him now - he had spent the past few years trying to run from his responsibilities. Now it was time to finally face up to them, confront them head on. Everything had been building up to this, and Remy finally realized that it was fate. He had gotten what he'd asked for.

So before her revelation could even be digested by the Guilds, Remy abruptly rose from behind her. "_Non_! _Non_, she didn'. I did… I killed him."

"_Vous l'avez assassiné!_ (You _murdered_ him!)" bellowed Marius, breaking out of his stupor and attempting to rush Remy.

"Stop!" ordered Jean-Luc, telling others to restrain him - they didn't need another body on their hands.

Rogue took that moment to hiss, "Remy! What are yah doin'? Yah know what they'll do?"

"_Oui_, _chère_. I have t' do dis. It be m' mess, m' responsibility. Got blood on m' hands now… literally an' figuratively," he told her, all the while staring at his blood-stained fingers in a daze. He was shaken out of it when he heard his father ask him what had happened.

Looking up into Jean-Luc's eyes, all Remy could see in them was disappointment; it tore him up inside, only adding to the regret he felt at killing a man.

"Didn' mean t'… He came fo' de mercenary dat he an' Marius hired," he answered in distress, not even noticing murmurs amongst the elders and their stares at the unconscious Sabretooth that his statement prompted. "An' den he fought m', an' he fell on top o' m' an' de dagger stabbed him… didn' mean t' kill him, _je jure_!(I swear!)"

"It was self-defence," Rogue explained. "It wasn't his fault."

"Don' y' t'ink y've caused 'nough trouble already, _fille_?" sighed the Thieves' leader.

"If yah ask meh, yo' Guilds started all th' trouble," she acerbically replied.

Another argument between the two was postponed by a new arrival, pushing their way through the crowd.

"Where is dat mutie bastard?!" Belladonna shrieked, furiously shoving people aside. "When I get m' hands on him, I swear I'll - "

She came to an immediate halt when she broke to the front of the gathering, and saw her dead brother. "_Mon Dieu_!" she cried, rushing over and falling to her knees beside him, the lace of the wedding gown she still wore draping over the body. Frantically she shook him. "Julien? Julien!"

When he didn't answer, when he didn't even move, Belle broke down sobbing. Then she looked up and saw Remy and Rogue standing there, and her cries stopped; instead, she let out a wail of anguish and rapidly flung herself at her former love, striking him repeatedly while screaming obscenities at him.

"How could y?! Why, why? Havn' y' ruined everyt'in' already? He was right, y' are jus' a piece o' scum!" she howled.

Remy made absolutely no move to protect himself; he just let the blows come, the beginning of his penance. It was the least he could allow her, after what he had done. Rogue knew that he would probably beat himself up about Julien's death, but she hadn't expected him to so calmly let another do it to him. She was about to step in and pull Belle off him when the Assassin spun around and tried to attack her too.

Rogue easily grabbed her flailing arms; she barely put any of her skill behind her strikes, too upset to think clearly. Her struggles stopped, regressing into a fresh wave of tears. Lapin and Kae moved forward and took hold of her, leading her away and trying to console her. Rogue couldn't help but feel pity for whom she supposed could be considered her rival; she had lost everything in a span of minutes.

There was nothing but silence, except for the occasional weep emanating from Belladonna. Everybody stood on edge, the tension hanging thick in the air. Belle and Marius were both being kept in check by fellow Guild members, while the rest simply bore witness to the Assassins' dead heir. Next to him still stood a agonized Remy, and the mysterious thief.

Finally one of the elders cleared his throat and spoke up. "We need t' call council."

"O' course," agreed Jean-Luc, his gaze never leaving his son. "_Allez_ (Come on), Remy."

The others all began to descend back into the cathedral, the mood sombre. A few hauled the comatose carcass of Sabretooth along with them; he would be needed to testify to the Assassin's plot. Before Remy made a move, he looked over at Rogue. Their eyes met again, sorrow and regret conveyed in both pairs. So was love, still aching to be voiced. They could only stare at each other, no words being exchanged - neither being quite sure what to say, or how to say it. He took a step to her, wanting nothing more than to take her in his arms, when his father stopped him.

"_Remy_," he stressed. "_Maintenant_ (Now)."

Regretfully Remy started to walk towards his fate, but just had to brush his hand against Rogue's on his way. That tiny whisper of a touch managed to calm them both, seeming to imbue indescribable strength into each of them. Words weren't needed, the simple contact told them what had to be said. And with that, Rogue was left alone one more time.

* * *

Next chapter - everything gets wrapped up into one neat little package! What will the Guilds decide about Remy? Where will Rogue go? Will they _finally_ admit that they love each other? Which girl would he have chosen? Will Belle try to kill them? Repeatedly?

Well, the only way to find out the answers to those pesky little questions is to come back for the last chapter. Yes, that's right, the LAST chapter. The conclusion, the end, the finale, the culmination of 'February Fifteenth'! It should be up in a few days, so y'all come back now, ya hear?

And don't forget to review, pretty please! You're gonna run out of chances soon, and _then_ where will you be?

Kisses,

ish


	14. Confessions

**Disclaimer:** Nope, no ownership of the X-Men here. However, I _do_ own the A-Men, the B-Men, the C-Men… you get the picture. I was hoping to collect the whole alphabet, but Marvel just _had_ to grab X first, didn't they? shakes fist at them

**A/N:** Here we are, the last chapter! And look, February Fifteenth is finished ON February fifteenth! Coincidence? I think not! Kudos to you who actually guessed I'd do this. Yes, I _actually_ planned it this way, how droll! I'm _that_ much of a loser. But hey, I get free promotion from the calendar, so it all works out great! Well, I'm sure you're all wanting to know how this ends, so let's get going!

Caliente, Star of Chaos, Lid'l Rogue, Taineyah, T., tia/rorytin, Arain Rowan/Arin Ross, Peace215, Linda Keene, Rogue14, The Rogue Cajun, Girl number 1, Personage, Katrina5, roguelebeaux003 heartsyhawk, Lisa, PsychoRomyChica, Jukebox, danielle britton, Risty, dark107angel, chibidrummergirl, Luna, sPoOkZ13412, bitrona, Rogue4787, Cloud of Blood, lonewolf, eopona, Vaillance, Zen Bailong & UniversalAnimeGirl – This is the end, my friends. So as a sign of my undying gratitude, I'll present everybody with their very own crack bunny! Careful, they get kinda hyper sometimes…

Malevolent Darkness – If you're reading this on the 15th, happy birthday! If not, happy belated birthday!

Gothic Cajun – You bought me Tootsie Roll Pops? You are now my new god. And I hate to burst your bubble, but I can't be the next American Idol – how about the Canadian one? Which still makes me shudder…

XxFleurdelySxX – Oh, no author alerts for you? That's sad – but yay, I knew you'd never miss my updates on purpose! Right?! suspiciously glares Gee, you're right, I really do bug you for happy endings a lot, don't I? Well, go see what I came up with. But I'm sure you don't want me to really answer your question of disappointing me cough Pointblank cough cough!, it was simply rhetorical, right? ;-)

Lightspeed Suzuka – I'm actually more a fan of pina coladas, but hey, alcohol is alcohol! I won't be picky. ;-)

Calliann – I made you late? Sorry! But hey, what devotion to the fic! I'm definitely feeling the love, aww!

Goldylokz – I love the melodrama too. Too bad we can't stick in old British narrators and uber-dramatic music, make it kinda like one of those intensely cheesy old shows… stupid technology.

Princess of Monkeys – We could make millions of Belle clones (wait, just bear with me for a sec, this gets better!), and then provide one to everybody so they could horribly maim and torture her! Is that a good enough world for you? But hey, you know what'd be a great world for me? One where your fic is updated! ;-)

SassyGrl024 – Yes, I got your email. Thanks for taking the extra time to do that! Gold star for you. And a hug! hug

Panther Nesmith – I love the Cell Block Tango! Mmm, Remy in fishnets and skin-tight black clothing… Hey, he could pull it off. ;-)

Krac – Yeah, I just had to stick one last reference to you and Lapin in there, cuz I didn't give you Belle road pizza. What kind of toppings would you like on that? Some taunting, maybe? Or irony? I really wanted to kill her, I swear, but the damn plot stopped me again!

Lady Farevay – Tee hee hee! Oh, the flattery! I'm right there with ya on the giddy, clappy hand thing, I do the _exact_ same thing. Sometimes with added chair-falling-offage too. Glad I could convert you to my crack bunny phrase – how can you not love it? Anyhoo, thanks for the lovely review! (hey, that rhymes!) Hope you like the ending.

Green Eyed Lilys Daughter - Oh, he'll definitely have a bed to sleep in - hopefully mine! ;-) Ok, maybe not. Hmm, you got me thinking with those horribly mean endings, you shouldn't plant such horrible ideas in my head. Ooh, thanks for the Johnny doll – I went to see a movie the other day and saw a huge poster for one of his upcoming films consisting of just his face, and I just stopped in the middle of the lobby and drooled for a good 5 minutes.

Seven Sunningdale – I find your lack of compassion incredibly amusing. But that's ok, I'd prefer Belle dead too. By a bullet to her brain or splattering on the sidewalk doesn't really matter to me… Damn plot. I wanted to kill her, I really did! If you want, you can pretend she dies. Hey, if I'm Ebert, does that make you Roeper?

vespie – Damn happy couples indeed. I just sat by my computer on Valentine's Day, lonely and alone, trying to live vicariously through my fic. :-(

Remy's Angy – Your review made me laugh. Yeah, why should they live if they can't be together? I could go all Romeo & Juliet on their asses… Actually, now that you mention it... evilly grins You people should really stop giving me such horrible ideas, it just makes me want to use them!

Aro – That's not funny, eh? I don't know, I found you saying (writing) that QUITE funny! Hah hah… ;-) But hey, glad you put off your own personal hygiene for my fic. That's dedication!

Well, that's done and done. Now here you have it, like a cherry on top of a sundae, the finishing touch, the _pièce de résistance_, the final chapter of my little pet project. _Et voilà!_

* * *

February Fifteenth

**Chapter Fourteen – Confessions**

Three a.m. is the best time of the day for a thief, mainly because it's the perfect time for a heist. That was precisely why Rogue was sneaking through the New Orleans Museum of Art at that very instant. It has been exactly six years ago, almost exactly to the minute, that she had last been here. She never forgot the layout of the building, hoping she would one day use that knowledge again.

Her logic and rationality screamed at her to stop, to leave. All the thieving and terrorist instincts engrained into her by Mystique told her to get out of the city while she still could; it definitely wasn't a smart thing to stay where two Guilds, not to mention a bloodthirsty feral mutant, wanted her dead. But she could care less right now – there were more important things to do.

For the past five years, every February fifteenth, Rogue had wished she could come back here. To try and recapture lost chances and opportunities. It was the exact same reason she was here tonight, for her last attempt. She only hoped he would be here too.

It didn't matter whether it was luck or fate that brought them together that first time. The important thing was the instant connection they had formed, the powerful impression that they left with each other. She hadn't known his name for the longest time, even though he dominated her thoughts. Now she knew it, knew him, and knew that she loved him.

Rogue loved Remy LeBeau. She decided she would tell him, no matter what. She had guarded her heart so closely over the years, but now she was ready to put it out on the line. She was almost positive he felt the same, so maybe they had a chance together, to be happy… If he didn't, or if he couldn't… Well, she would be heartbroken. That was a fact, but she accepted it. The risk was well worth the reward.

As she silently slipped into the room, she saw a dark figure standing there, in front of the jewel collection. The very same ones she was sent to steal six years ago. Rogue's heart beat all the faster as she stealthily walked towards him. Somehow she knew that he was already aware of her presence, so she didn't say anything; she simply moved beside him and joined him in staring at the gemstones. Her eyes automatically went to the rubies, just like they had before. Not quite knowing what to say to him, she was thankful when he spoke first.

"Y' know, I came here ev'ry February fifteent' fo' de past _cinq ans_ (five years)," Remy quietly informed her.

Rogue's thankfulness turned to surprise. "Really?"

"_Oui_. Ever since dat night when I met y'," he said, with a far-off look in his eyes as he recalled the fond memories. "Was like y' haunted m' or somet'in', couldn' get y' out o' m' head. Not dat I wanted t' or anyt'in'… Did y' feel it too?"

"Yes," she confirmed. "Couldn't get yah out o' mah head either..."

Taking a deep breath, Remy slowly told her, "I t'ink y' stole m' heart right den."

Rogue had to break out into a huge smile, both from his admission and the anxious look on his face. Turning to look up at him, she took his hand in hers and softly said, "Yah stole mine too. Ah couldn't stop thinkin' 'bout yah. Ah wanted to come back too, every year… but it just never happened 'till today."

"Well, we bot' finally made it, neh?"

"Yeah, finally…"

A silence fell over them both, and Rogue decided to break it. "Ah'm sorry, Remy... Fo' all that's happened. Ah can't help feelin' it might've been better if Ah never came."

Remy's eyes widened. "What d'y' mean, _chère_?"

"Maybe Ah shouldn't have come to N'Awlins… Seems Ah just made a mess o' things, sugah," she regretfully explained. "Ah just made everythin' mo' complicated, screwin' up th' Guilds' peace pact an' all. Not t' mention the whole Sabretooth thing. He was an' old associate o' Mystique's, always hated her, Ah can't help but think that if Ah wasn't there none o' that would've happened-"

A gentle finger placed to her lips cut her off. "Shh," Remy murmured. "Don' say dat, none o' dis was yo' fault. Can't tell y' how glad I am dat y' came… Y' helped me, _chère_. If y' didn' show up, prob'ly would've married Belle an' been miserable. But y' came an' showed me what I was missin'."

"An' what's that?" she nervously rasped, mouth dry and stomach full of butterflies.

He cocked his head and stared at her intently. "Didn' know dat anybody could feel so much fo' someone dey didn' even know," Remy started, not quite answering her. "Tol' myself dat I was bein' foolish. But den y' turned up 'gain, an' Remy got t' know y', an' it just got stronger… Nothin' like dere was wit' Belladonna, not even close. Y' make m' happy, y' make m' feel complete, like a good man when 'm not…"

"Remy," Rogue interrupted, but he kept talking.

"Non, _chère_," Remy continued, closing his eyes. "'M not a good man. I be a killer… Don' have anyt'in' t' offer y'."

She sighed, and for a second Remy had to wonder if she would agree.

"Look at meh," she ordered him, leaving no room for argument. He opened his eyes and was saddened to see pain in those beautiful emeralds.

"Yah're everythin' Ah am," Rogue declared.

"Y' ain't a killer, _chère_."

"Yah're _everything_ Ah am," she repeated. "We're both orphans, we're both thieves… An' Ah've killed somebody too. Mah flyin' powers? They ain't mahne, Ah stole them an' more from anothah mutant. Mystique set meh up, sent meh into a situation where she knew Ah'd use mah powers t' defend mahself, but it went wrong an' Ah absorbed all th' woman's powers… Ah killed her."

Remy was taken aback by her admission; he could see how tortured she was over what had happened, that was plain to see. "_Chère_, dat wasn' yo' fault, y' didn' mean t' kill her! Dat doesn' make y' a bad person," he tried to comfort her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Yah should take yo' own advice," she suggested. "Yah didn't mean t' kill Julien either, it wasn't yo' fault. Ah've been in yo' position, yah can grieve, yah can be sorry, but Ah learned that yah can't let it consume yah! Yah are _not_ a bad person. Yo' th' sweetest, most amazin' man Ah've ever met."

He simply gazed at her for a few seconds, and then suddenly enveloped her in a strong embrace. "_Merci_, _chère_," he mumbled into her hair. "Dat means a lot. Y're definitely de most 'mazin' _femme_ Remy ever met. Don' t'ink anybody can match up t' y'…"

They stood together a bit longer, savouring the safety and warmth in the other's arms, not wanting to let go.

"Remy," Rogue cautiously began. "Are yah alright?"

Slowly Remy pulled back a bit and exhaled, "Don' know yet..."

"What happened at th' council?" she asked tenderly.

"Got exiled," he stated simply.

"Oh, Remy," she breathed, placing a soothing hand on the side of his face.

"'S okay. Knew it would happen. Had t' be done, Remy was seen as a traitor fo' killin' an Assassin durin' peacetime," he muttered. "An' Marius was expelled fo' his part in de plot t' kill me - dat makes Bella de head o' de Assassins, an' she be on de warpath 'gainst Remy. Couldn' stay even if I wanted t', or she'd go t'rough de whole Guild t' get t' m'."

"Ah'm so sorry…"

"Don' be."

"What? Why not? Yah were kicked outta th' Guild, outta yo' family!"

"Would've happened anyway."

"Not if yah let meh take th' blame fo' it! If yah knew what would happen, why'd yah let it go on?"

"It gave us a way out."

With that, a look of sheer confusion appeared on Rogue. "Huh?" was the only thing she could voice.

He chuckled to himself. "Knew dat Remy'd get exiled, an' de betrothal was officially cancelled. 'M a free _homme_ now."

Comprehension seemed to dawn in Rogue's eyes. "Yah mean…"

"_Merde_," Remy groaned, bending down to lean his forehead against hers. "'M so sorry, _chère_. Y' didn' t'ink dat Remy was gonna stay an' marry Belle, did y'?"

"Well, Ah… Ah wasn't sure," she stuttered. "Ah couldn't blame yah if yah were, she's-"

"_Non_!" he fervently stopped her. "She's nothin' compared t' y', Rogue. It was y' all along. When I left y' in de mornin', I was gonna get m' t'ings an' come back t' y', I swear. Wrote Belle a letter tellin' her dat I couldn' marry her, an' I was on m' way back t' y' when I got de note from de _chat _(cat). Even on de roof it was y' I wanted t' save… It's _always_ been y'."

Rogue was struck speechless by his revelation, and could only gape at the man in front of her.

"Remy's such an idiot," he chastised himself.

"No yah're not," she protested amusedly.

"_Oui_, Remy is. Should've tol' y' de first time I saw y', an' y' have no idea how much I wanted t' tell y' befo'… _Je t'aime_ (I love you)."

Something inside of her informed her that was coming, she was expecting it. But it felt so surreal to hear it said out loud, so much more intense, and she was shocked. For a moment Rogue couldn't move. Finally she noticed that Remy was anxiously watching her with hope in his eyes, and she knew what he was waiting for. Quickly she placed her hands on the side of his face, making him look straight into her eyes.

"_Je t'aime aussi_ (I love you too)," she whispered, overjoyed not only at his confession but the opportunity to finally tell him as well.

The apprehension vanished from his eyes when they filled with joy; Rogue would've giggled at the fact that Remy was worried she might not reciprocate his feelings, but he merrily laughed and swung her around in his arms before she had the chance. She squealed in surprise and delight, but was cut short when her feet returned to the ground and he swept her up in a kiss.

They thought their first kiss was amazing, but it was nothing in comparison to this one. Now that all their feelings were finally out in the open, it only seemed to enhance the passion existing between them. Their hands roamed across their bodies while their lips and tongues caressed each other's. They moved closer, yet it still wasn't close enough; unfortunately, that just wouldn't be appropriate in the middle of a museum.

Only when the need to breathe became too great did their mouths part, but they still remained wrapped together.

"Wow…" gasped Rogue in awe, her face flushed and cheeks red.

"Remy seconds dat," he agreed, staring at her. He would have been content to keep doing so, but it wasn't really the best place for that. The nagging thieving instincts at the back of Remy's mind kept telling him that he should get out of the museum, and out of the city. But that didn't matter, because this time he wasn't letting the woman he was holding go anywhere without him. So he spoke up and said, "Love t' continue dis, but we prob'ly shouldn' stay here too long, neh?"

"Damn," she cursed. "So where to? Should maybe get th' hell outta Dodge, huh?"

He favoured her with an adoring smile. "I'll go wherever y' go, _chère_."

"Well, Ah was gonna go wherever yah go, sugah," she replied.

"Guess it don' matter den, does it? Long as we're toget'er…"

"Aww, yah're such th' romantic, Remy LeBeau!" Rogue cooed.

"Course, _chère_. It gets Remy de ladies," he deadpanned.

"Ahh, but does it keep 'em?" she teased.

"It will, 'specially since dis Cajun found de only one worth keepin'," he smirked.

That remark earned Remy a sweet peck on the lips as Rogue threw her arms around his neck and beamed at him.

"Kinda funny, ain't it?" she mused.

"_Quoi_?"

"Us. Declarin' our love on February fifteenth, of all days. Valentine's Day is th' supposed time fo' true love an' annoucin' yo' feelin's…"

"Nahh, it be all about show," Remy scoffed. "Today's de day dat matters, it's all 'bout afterwards. Seein' if what was started still be dere."

"That's a good way t' look at it. B'sides, Valentine's Day is just a fake holiday perpetrated by th' floral and greetin' card industries t' make profits," Rogue stated matter-of-factually. "Never really liked it that much."

He grinned at that. "Ahh, _chère_, yet anot'er t'ing we have in common."

"But that don't mean yah can weasel yo' way outta showerin' meh with gifts next year!" she mock-scolded.

"Don' worry, Remy won' forget! He'll be showerin' y' wit' gifts _everyday_."

"Ooh, sounds good."

"But only on one condition, _chère_," he told her gravely, leaning in towards her.

"An' what's that?"

"Our weddin' will _not_ be on Valentine's Day."

"How 'bout Arbour Day?" she laughed.

"Damn, Remy was thinkin' Groundhog Day," he suggested, joining in on the amusement.

"Yah crazy Cajun…"

"_Oui_, but I be crazy 'bout y'. An' y shouldn' talk, since y're just as crazy 'bout Remy, _chère_."

"Ah sure ain't denyin' that, sugah," she seductively whispered, tilting her head up toward Remy's. His only response was bending down and capturing her mouth with his, and the couple lost themselves in what was sure to be one of countless more kisses.

Moments later a guard walked through the door. He could've _sworn_ he saw two people kissing on the security monitors… But there was nobody there. Maybe he was imagining things. He dreaded February fifteenth; all that Valentine's chocolate he ate must have gone to his head. Shrugging to himself, he quickly glanced over the various exhibits, which all seemed to be in order. He turned around and left, never even noticing the emeralds and rubies missing from the gemstone display case.

**The End **

* * *

AWW!! Yeah, a nice happy shiny ending. Ain't that dandy?

SO! I guess I should wrap this up now. First of all, I want to _sincerely_ thank all that read my fic, and _especially_ everybody who took the time to review. I started this fic on a whim, just as something to do, but when I got all those reviews (I'm still amazed at the number!) it really encouraged me. You like me, you _really_ like me! blushes GOLD STARS FOR ALL!!

Next, people have already been asking if there'll be a sequel, so I'll try to answer that now - I honestly don't know, I haven't thought of one yet. However, the door for one _was_ left open, so if I happen to think of something that works, I'll seriously consider it. But yes, I _will_ be writing more fics, I've got quite a few plot bunnies running around! But I think you're gonna hate me, cuz it won't be for quite a while – a new semester at school just began and I've got tons of work to do, and seeing as my marks will seal my fate of getting into university or not, I should _probably_ focus on that. In theory. So sadly, writing time must be put off. Who knows, if I get spare time maybe a one-shot will pop out? But I DO have an epic fic in the process of being planned, so look for that in the summer, when I have more free time than I know what to do with. That is, if you want it… ;-)

Well, there you have it. I'll leave off with one last plea for reviews – it'd be **_fabutastical_** if we could go out with a bang and beat 700! So if you've been sneaking around and reading this but haven't reviewed yet, drop me a line! Hell, _everybody_ drop me a line and tell me how I did. Ishandahalfarianites unite! So once again, thank you to all my past reviewers, and thanks in advance to all those who will review now! I'll leave you with my immortal words, "Quick like a bunny on crack!". Huzzah.

Kisses,

ish


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